You might be able to get most or all of that dent out by pressurizing the tank while heating the dented area with a propane torch. I believe you can use as much as seven (7) PSI on those thin wall tanks. Your alternative is to cut the tank open in an area that can’t be seen once the repair is complete, and knock the dent out from the inside.
What is the compression on the motor? They won’t have tons, but they need at least in the 40-50 lbs range to have a hope of running. The ignition system on those is usually pretty reliable, if the points are polished and gapped at 0.020″ and the plug is gapped at 0.025″ and you’re not getting spark, suspect the condenser or look for wiring going to ground, because the coils are almost always still good. Those points have insulators around the various screws that keep the points together, and if any of them are missing, you won’t get spark out of it.
They’re the same as any other poppet valve carb motor, make sure the valve is moving freely and the spring isn’t broken. Check the passages to make sure something can flow through them, those carbs have an internal passage to the poppet valve seat that can get plugged up. Is there any slop between the crankshaft and the upper bearing? Any degree of side play between the crank and supporting bushing is going to make it hard for this motor to start.
If you don’t already have a burp can for test starts, I recommend you create one. I just use an Eagle oiling can with a thumb lever pump and use fuel mix in it instead of oil. If you give it a couple shots of fuel in the crankcase and it fires, then you know you have a chance at getting it to go. FWIW I never use starting fluid or ether, I just use gas and oil mix.
Speaking of Rangers, I used to have one….
we called it “Ranger Dave” since it was painted up in a “Super Dave Osborne” theme. Might have been Evel Knievel, actually. But this is Canada, so we went with Dave. It did run on the lake a couple of times, I put an NOS piston and ring set in it. Even then the compression wasn’t strong but it did run.
Hope this helps.
Best
PM T2
He's livin' in his own private Idaho..... I hope to go out quietly in my sleep, like my grand-dad did..... and not screaming, like the passengers in his car...