Loose outside mirror

[Gary S.]

My friend's outside rear view mirror has a loose head and no amount of playing with it will make it stay up. I seem to remember reading somewhere that someone suggested taking the mirror off of the door and soaking it in lacquer thinner to remove the glass and then peening the ball. Is this a DIY kind of job or should it be sent out for fixing?
Gary

[Dan White]

Re: Loose outside mirror

What year car is this? My 66 mirror blows over if you go over 60 mph, and I was wondering if what you mentioned would work on my mirror. Hopefully someone will come up with an answer.

[Gary S.]

Re: Loose outside mirror

Sorry, serious brain fade. The car is a 73.
Gary

[Roger S.]

Re: Loose outside mirror

On my 73 I used super glue - the thin type. I positioned the mirror where I wanted it, removed it from the car, took it to my work bench and applied three drops of my model ACM cement - ie super glue. One year later the mirror still stays put.
Roger

[Grant M.]

Re: Loose outside mirror

I recall a post from earlier this year in which someone recommended a drop or two of 'Loctite' or something like that on the ball.

[Robert W.]

Re: Loose outside mirror

On my 66 I took the mirror off and laid it face down. I then put a couple of drops of Loctite used for installed fasteners in the ball/mirror interface area and let it setup. After it dried it could be moved but has enough friction to hold it where it is placed. Working fine after a year.

[Gary S.]

Re: Loose outside mirror

He has used Loktite and Super Glue in the past but is looking for a more permanent solution. I suppose I will suggest he send them off for repair or replacement.

Thanks

Gary

[Wayne K.]

Re: Loose outside mirror

Gary,

You write your friend " has a loose head and no amount of playing with it will make it stay up ". Has he tried Viagra ?

[Gary S.]

Re: Loose outside mirror

Oops, left myself open on that one. Usually, I am the one that is the smart aXX.
Gary

[Edward McComas]

Re: Loose Mirror

I actually did this repair to a 73 mirror many years ago. I put the mirror in hot water to soften the glue (acutally looked like silicone sealer) so I could get the glass out. With the glass out you can remove the clamp that holds tension on the ball and bend it to create more tension. I then used clear silicone sealer (three big drops as I recall) to put the glass back in.

[Roger Legge]

Re: Loose outside mirror

I read a resto column Q & A in Corvette Fever some time ago where there was a suggested procedure. I don't remember the exact details (I can dig it up), but basically it was suggested to lay the mirror face down in lacquer thinner overnight, then *very* carefully pry the glass mirror out of the mirror housing. Inside there is some sort of a metal piece that covers the ball of the ball and socket arrangement. It was suggested to use something like a punch to dimple/tighten (this is where I don't remember the details) this metal piece so the ball/socket becomes tighter. Install glass with something like 3M adhesive. I've been meaning to try this as mine also moves at higher speeds.

Roger

[Steve Grodin]

Re: Loose outside mirror

I have used the procedure that Roger talks about on my '74 driver side mirror. It work for awhile. I eventualy ended up replacing the mirror. I ordered it from my local chevy parts dept. It seems to me that we had to send a couple of them back until we found one that was "tight".

[Gary S.]

Re: Loose outside mirror

This was the process that I thought but was there any loss of the mirror silver "stuff" during the application of lacquer thinner? I know that thinner is great stuff for removing or softening things up, but we are also concerned with loss of the silver backing on the mirror.
Gary

[Steve Grodin]

Re: Loose outside mirror

I didn't notice any loss of "silver stuff".