blowing dents out of fuel tanks

chris_1127 · Post by **chris_1127** » May 25th, '06, 11:31

anyone know how you go about blowing dents out of fuel tanks with compressed air? ie how you plug up the tank, where you hook up the the air in etc?

Post by **TLS-Moose** » May 25th, '06, 13:57

The only experience I have had with blowing out tanks with air resulted in the loss of shape/mouldings......

so I would recommend trying to get them pulled out first.

old tried and tested way was to tack a length of welding rod to the centre of the depression and knock backwards .... there are now little pneumatic thingies which can do a similar job

SNIFFY · Post by **SNIFFY** » May 25th, '06, 16:36

Drop a match in stupid

chris_1127 · Post by **chris_1127** » May 25th, '06, 16:56

thanks moose might give it a try

and cheers sniffy, blinding bit of info there, why didnt eye think of that

reminds me of the old "gas leak detector wanted, must supply own matches and be willing to travel" job ad

SNIFFY · Post by **SNIFFY** » May 25th, '06, 17:19

chris_1127 wrote:thanks moose might give it a try

and cheers sniffy, blinding bit of info there, why didnt eye think of that reminds me of the old "gas leak detector wanted, must supply own matches and be willing to travel" job ad

Blinding reply, eye would have never thought of that.

A million years ago eye used to work in a car radiator company, we used to test fuel tanks by using a expandable rubber bung that had a air line attachment. I (whoops ment eye) recon you would need a dangerous amount of pressure to blow a dent out of a tank.

Jimbo · Post by **Jimbo** » Jun 4th, '06, 21:14

use a slide hammer...

baz-R · Post by **baz-R** » Jun 26th, '06, 11:19

its easy i have done it befor take all the fuel out and leave it for a day to dry out with the cap open.
remove the filler and block the hole i used a metal plate and a bit of rubber and held it down with the holes for the cap attach a rubber hose to the fuel tap/outlet and aply air pressure a bit at a time until its pops back
note this will not work on all dents but if its large and shallow it should work ok

do not weld petrol tanks or flames if you dont like hosptil food thay are more dangrous empty than full!
trust me ive seen a oil drum explode when some one was welding it empty!!!!!!