Dented tank

[GRW]

When I did a bit for a guy I did some work for on a Unimog.... the parts prices were truly astonishing!
His air cleaner had rusted the bottom out... its just a big can to hold a large ish air filter element - over £1600
(I cut the rotten part of the cylinder out, rolled dome sheet metal and welded it in, then some black paint... ; even with my iffy talents given its location you'd struggle to spot it).

Dent. A mate dented the corner of his 1980's thick metal Iveco in similar fashion. He welded a bolt on, then rigged up a ratchet strap round the rsj of his workshop and just cranked the dent out. I happened to be there & watched him do it - and it worked amazingly well

 

[Smallfry]

Thanks for all the replies chaps. Had internet fail here yesterday.

Unimog is nowhere near concours It is just that this annoys me when I look at it, and I am a bit anal about these things. I don't think I will be able to just leave it alone. I feel I want to restore the thing so some degree, to get me away from wasting time and money on "classic" cars. I could throw thousands at this thing on parts, and still get the money back one day, unlike cars. It is also quite a useful machine to have.

It is only a reservoir incorporating the system filter inside, and if vented to atmosphere, so is not pressurised. It doesn't actually leak at the moment.

A new tank is unobtainable, and the only used one I can find is £250 plus shipping plus VAT, and I just couldn't bring myself to pay it. The dent has caused the side to bulge out, so filling will not be satisfactory to me.

It is made of 1.5mm steel, so would need serious hammering to get it out, so the only rear solution is to get at the rear of it, by either cutting a hole in the far side, splitting the halves, or welding a patch in. I might try some heat first, and see what happens.

I could always make a new one out of flat welded plate, just to make in more difficult Complicated shape though.

 

[Wildefalcon]

Okay. Cut out the dent, make new, weld in and blend.

 

[Nomad]

It’s not pressurised. I’m a modest diy welder and would be confident I could just cut out the crease ( 80% is the tank top face, 20% vertical face).

No need to cut the corner off the tank - that makes your repair section a flat plate with a basic 90* bend.

Hammer the cut tank back into shape (easy as you now have good access)

Weld in a repair section.
Flapdisc / body filler as needed.

Photos to post on here (before or after paint), done.

 

[Keithmac]

Fill the dent with a decent epoxy metal filler then sand and paint it..

 

[Ace Paul]

Can you turn it around?

So dink facing other way? Remake any holding brackets

 

[Smallfry]

Can you turn it around?

So dink facing other way? Remake any holding brackets

No. it is an odd shape with eight faces, plus the filler an hydraulic system filter, so not possible.

Anyway, to round this out, I have decided to live with it at present, and have reinstalled it "as is" If I ever get round to a restoration, I will do it then !

 

[Ace Paul]

Eight faces you say. Sounds a lot around here.

Can you put tank tape over it?

 

[RonMig]

30 seconds in, Father Ted uses a hammer to fix a dent in his car...

 

[MattF]

I have decided to live with it at present

The smart choice. Perfect is pleasing, but pointless when unnecessary, as with that dent. Use your time for worthwhile/necessary tasks.