Aluminum gas tank dent repair

[Buccaneer]

I played around with the tank a little more after
supper. Seeing how I’m now concentrating on
little dents instead of massive ones, I used
a brazing tip. Got quit a few smaller dents
out, but some are there to stay.
I went from 6 or 7 psi to 8 to 8-1/2 this time
will no ill effects, then again, I have no idea
how accurate my gauge is.

Anyone ever "bondo" just where the decal
goes for a nice flat surface for the decal,
and polish the visible aluminum areas?

Don’t think I’ll worry about a "better" tank.
Just as soon save my money for a tiller handle!

Prepare to be boarded!

[b-dittmar]

Hay Buccaneer If you ever get down to the north metro area I would be happy to teach you how to weld alum with a torch.

[Buccaneer]

Thanks for the offer Ben. I’ve tried welding a few aluminum
things with results from "poor" to "okay".
Guess I should practice on some junk gas tanks this winter.
Maybe you’ll do a YouTube video on welding this winter
now that the lakes are turning to hard water!

Prepare to be boarded!

[b-dittmar]

quote Buccaneer:

Thanks for the offer Ben. I’ve tried welding a few aluminum
things with results from “poor” to “okay”.
Guess I should practice on some junk gas tanks this winter.

quote :

Maybe you’ll do a YouTube video on welding this winter
now that the lakes are turning to hard water

!

Well I have already made a video. But I am getting much better at welding them up now after doing 100+ of them I even did 6 of them tonight.
Hear is the video. https://youtu.be/igT70TT33t0

[b-dittmar]

Maybe I could stop buy sometime also to show you
I get in the Grand rapids area all the time.

[outbdnut2]

quote Steve A W:

Wow!
I didn’t know there was anything like boat demo derbies. 😯
LOL
That poor motor had a hard life.

Steve A W

I believe most dented tanks on old motors came from bouncing around in the trunk of a car. Back then, almost nobody owned a boat, but people bought motors and you could rent a boat on many lakes and put your own motor on it. Some were permanently stored in the car trunk, except when on a rental boat.
Dave

[The Boat House]

quote Buccaneer:

Anyone ever “bondo” just where the decal
goes for a nice flat surface for the decal,
and polish the visible aluminum areas?

You have done really well with what you
had to start with. I suspect you have a
ton of time in it to get where you are
now. Bet you have learned a lot. I’m
guessing your success will motivate you
to try another. The more of them you
do the more you learn and the better
the result. You have to enjoy doing it
though because it takes a lot of time.
If your decal is one piece your likely
going to have trouble on the corners
as the surfaces is now curved so you
might try to see if you can get it flatter.
This tank had a real nice top so I got
the sides as flat as I could. Then I
fill and painted them.

[Buccaneer]

Tubs, I probably have 3 hours into the tank now
from when I started degreasing it. I have lots
of time, a fair amount of patience. Now
if I just had more energy and money!

I was looking at the tank this morning and thinking
about the very thing you mention, about
the decal being "problematic", seeing how
the back of the tank has a slight compound
curve now. I’m afraid if I try to flatten it in
one spot, that it’s going to "buckle up" in another.
Garage is heat up now, so will go play some more!

I like your "Junkyard" outboard. I wish I would have
went to school to be a graphic artist…… would then
just painted "Johnson" on the back of the tank and
not worry about a decal!

Prepare to be boarded!

[garry-in-michigan]

A lot can be done with the photo enhancement software available for your computer. It just takes time and patience. Like the taxi driver told the person who asked how to get to Carnegie Hall – Practice, practice, practice . . . 😀

[Buccaneer]

Finished on the A-80 Johnson to the point of running today.
Started on the second pull. Only ran it about 20 seconds
as it’s a fish out of water. Further running will probably
be next May 🙁

May order a decal and "bondo" up the tank where it goes,
and leave the top "A Naturale", and try polishing it if
I get some better equipment. The little two inch buffing
wheel in my drill don’t "hack it"!

The last hurdle on this "well used" Johnson was the prop.
The shear pin groove inside the prop hub was wore
about twice as deep as original, causing the prop hub
to rub on the gear case.
Ended up making a new groove 90 degrees to the old one.
Seemed to do the trick!

Prepare to be boarded!

[Author]

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