Dented Oil Tank...what to do..pics

[jimtweet]

so in the process of my restoration...and i know it was dented, but not this bad, after removing it and stripping it, it appears to be pretty banged up...

1. what in the world would cause this?
2. how bad is it
3. does this affect anything?
4. do i just refinish the tank and reinstall it?

after looking at some new tanks, it seems that this is common for these tanks to be pretty dented up

i took it to a body shop to see if he could use a slider hammer to pull some of it out, but thinks its to bad

radiator shop said he stuck a scope in there and there is some sort of screen?

does anyone have a pic of the inside of a oil tank? i cant seem to find one...

would it be worth it to cut out the dented section, bang it out with a hammer, and weld it back together?

[mark houghton]

Just forget about it....unless, of course, you won't be able to sleep at night thinking about it - in which case, cut it out/pound it out/weld it back together. If you do that, then I recommend opening up the entire tank halves along the seams - then pound out the repair and weld her back up. Pretty much the repair methods used for old vintage motorcycle tanks.

As to a screen inside, most likely is one but I don't know from experience.

[cole930]

Jim:

You could probably open it up and pound it out then take it to a radiator repair shop and
have them solder or braze it back together.

This looks like an SC tank because I don't see a scavenge up pipe in it.





Cole

[mark houghton]

Cole, why is it that you just happen to have a picture of a tank cut open? Either you've been doing the Porsche-thing for far too many years and have experienced all there is to experience - and saved Polaroids of everything - or you quick ran out to the shop and cut open your own tank just to support a brother in need.

[icemann427]

Dentbusters has incredible tools they use to take dents out. I bet they could make that thing brand new shaped in 10 minutes.

[Slider79SC]

pm sent, although my tank is not out of a Turbo

[IMR-Merlin]

let me know how you make out Jim. I have a 930 tank. And from the research on my tank, you CAN NOT use a 911 tank.

[gumba]

If it's on the side of the oil tube, I'd have it cut open and check the tube. If your going to track the car, I would send it to Fabcar for repair and have them add 2" to the bottom of the tank for more capacity.

[jimtweet]

Originally Posted by cole930

Jim:

You could probably open it up and pound it out then take it to a radiator repair shop and
have them solder or braze it back together.

This looks like an SC tank because I don't see a scavenge up pipe in it.





Cole

no its a 930 tank, it say so right in the first pic

[cole930]

Jim:

I was saying the pic. I sent looked like it was a SC tank.



Gimp:

I promise not to mention the K27 7200 you don't have installed yet.

I have pictures of anything I see that I may need to see again.

Cole

[jimtweet]

woops misread that

[JFairman]

When i restored my oil tank i saw some of the screen like baffle inside. I think it's there to limit sloshing and break up any possible air bubbles in the oil from the turbo scavange pump.

For the banged up oil tank I'd look for a good used one.

[mark houghton]

Originally Posted by cole930

Jim:

I was saying the pic. I sent looked like it was a SC tank.



Gimp:

I promise not to mention the K27 7200 you don't have installed yet.

I have pictures of anything I see that I may need to see again.

Cole

Touchet, bud
If the truth be known, I do the same with picts. Never know when a person may need one.
Hope all is well with you and yours. BTW, the 7200 will be in place before the first spring voyage. Just gotta finish up my damn 3000gt timing belt/water pump replacement. This morning, as I fired up the truck to go to work, it proceeded to run like crap for some reason (luckily, she cleaned up). Almost had to resort to the only other vehicle I have left to drive....the 930 (riding the Hog to work at 13 F is not a happy thing).

[Johnlomant]

pressurize the tank with air and then heat the tank with a hand held torch and it will pop out.

[MrShades]

Originally Posted by Johnlomant

pressurize the tank with air and then heat the tank with a hand held torch and it will pop out.

I agree. It was the first thing i thought of when seeing the picture of the oil tank

[kycarguy 935]

How about building a wood fixture to hold the tank down while you use a stud gun to pull the dents out?

[IMR-Merlin]

I think he already went that route. New tank is on it's way.... problem solved.

[jimtweet]

Originally Posted by kycarguy 935

How about building a wood fixture to hold the tank down while you use a stud gun to pull the dents out?

yea man, i welded a ton of small bolts to the tank and made a jig to pull them out,..

there were about 6 small holes that i needed to weld up, but had no luck..i was blowing right through the tank, and holes were spreading like wild fires...

had to end up getting a new tank, o well, live and learn...

[JFairman]

I think you did the best thing for your car - buy a nice used one and go from there.

Now you gotta cut the crashed one in half like Cole suggested and pound out the dents with a ball peen hammer from the inside while it's laying on a canvas or cordura sandbag and post pics so everyone can get off on the pictures of the internals.

Then braze it back together. You get the edges of the steel red hot while brazing with brass rod but you stop short of getting it bright yellow hot and melting it so you don't burn holes through the steel while doing it. You're soldering the tank back together with melting red hot brass rod on red hot steel.

Then you can cut little patches of steel sheet metal and braze them over the holes you said you made and when all thats over grind and sand the brazing repairs smooth and repaint it to make it look nice.
Tig welding it back together is better and stronger than brazing and there is no burnt brass rod flux residue left over to deal with. Any brass rod flux or welding slag left over on the inside would be a problem so maybe brass rod with no white flux coating would be best as long at the edges of the steel is sanded shiny clean right before brazing.
I don't know if Tig welding it back together would leave any steel slag particals on the inside. If it doesn't that would be the best way to weld the tank back together.

The tank is probably still worth something if thats done well.

[jimtweet]

Originally Posted by JFairman

I think you did the best thing for your car - buy a nice used one and go from there.

Now you gotta cut the crashed one in half like Cole suggested and pound out the dents with a ball peen hammer from the inside while it's laying on a canvas or cordura sandbag and post pics so everyone can get off on the pictures of the internals.

Then braze it back together. You get the edges of the steel red hot while brazing with brass rod but you stop short of getting it bright yellow hot and melting it so you don't burn holes through the steel while doing it. You're soldering the tank back together with melting red hot brass rod on red hot steel.

Then you can cut little patches of steel sheet metal and braze them over the holes you said you made and when all thats over grind and sand the brazing repairs smooth and repaint it to make it look nice.
Tig welding it back together is better and stronger than brazing and there is no burnt brass rod flux residue left over to deal with. Any brass rod flux or welding slag left over on the inside would be a problem so maybe brass rod with no white flux coating would be best as long at the edges of the steel is sanded shiny clean right before brazing.
I don't know if Tig welding it back together would leave any steel slag particals on the inside. If it doesn't that would be the best way to weld the tank back together.

The tank is probably still worth something if thats done well.

My fathers best friend is president of the local sheet metal union, and produces custom duct work for home / office buildings...

i am going to drop the tank off at his shop this week, and he is going to see if one of his guys can cut it open, cut a new piece of metal, and put it back together using TIG

if im lucky,...a family discount? maybe just a tip to the guy that does it