QUestion on rearview mirror replacement

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Tax frustrated - 05 Jun 2006 00:05 GMT

Hello

The rear view mirror on my 92 XLT just fell off (79,000 miles on the truck
and it's still like new - except for the mirror). I've checked all the old
posts and the former Singleton site and don't see anything on this
particular issue:

When the mirror fell off, it left like a little plastic shoe that's still
stuck to the windshield. I first thought it was leftover glue, but it looks
like a perfectly formed plastic thing that was glued to the windshield
first. Am I wrong? Is that glue? If not, should I first try to remove it or
restick the mirror directly to it?

Anyone have ideas?

Thanks

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Regards,
Anthony Giorgianni

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Charlie Bress - 05 Jun 2006 00:24 GMT

On my 92 there is a little metal piece that the mirror is attached to and
secured with a set screw.
If you have the same setup, remove the metal piece from the mirror mount.
scrape of the old glue from the windshield after you put a piece of tape on
the outside to mark the right position. Then the metal hunk gets glued back
on .
Be sure you put the metal holder on right side up. There is a taper to it.
I used to use the aftermarket glue that is sold to reattach the mirror but
it has never lasted very long. Th last time I used a clear epoxy. I had to
tape the metal in place until the epoxy cured (overnight.) That has not
failed after at least 5 years.
Make sure that all traces of the old glue are gone from all mating surfaces

Charlie

> Hello
>
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>
> Thanks

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Anthony Giorgianni - 05 Jun 2006 03:15 GMT

Thanks Charlie (Sorry about that "Tax frustrated" thing. I had changed it to
post to a tax newsgroup to be funny and forgot to change it back :)

I realized after I posted that that indeed WAS glue. It was so perfectly
formed and rubber-like it looked like a piece of clear plastic.

I removed it and cleaned everything with alcohol. The plate on the 92 is not
held in with a set screw, and it's a pain getting the plate out (I read some
old posts from here and checked my Ford shop manual). Finally freed it.

The glue instructions say it sets in 15 minutes. But I think I'll take your
advice and let is sit all night. I'll post back just to let folks know how
it went. 5 years? My fingers are crossed!!!

Thanks again.

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Regards,
Anthony Giorgianni

The return address for this post is fictitious. Please reply by posting back
to the newsgroup.

> On my 92 there is a little metal piece that the mirror is attached to and
> secured with a set screw.
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
> >
> > Thanks

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Jim Warman - 05 Jun 2006 04:39 GMT

Before you scrape the glue off.... mark the OUTSIDE of the glass with a felt
marker or such. This makes placing the spud a simple task. A strip of duct
tape keeps the spud from moving after it is placed....

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Ashton Crusher - 06 Jun 2006 06:34 GMT

>Thanks Charlie (Sorry about that "Tax frustrated" thing. I had changed it to
>post to a tax newsgroup to be funny and forgot to change it back :)
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
>Thanks again.

I've found that often that spring gizmo ford uses to hold the mirror
to the "shoe" gets munged up when you take the shoe off the mirror.
The result on mine was that the mirror wasn't really held tight on the
show and it would vibrate and be hard to adjust. I drilled a hole in
the mirror mount where you would logically put a setscrew and put a
self tapping screw in it to cinch it down tight.

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Ulysses - 05 Jun 2006 18:56 GMT

> On my 92 there is a little metal piece that the mirror is attached to and
> secured with a set screw.
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> tape the metal in place until the epoxy cured (overnight.) That has not
> failed after at least 5 years.

I've also had better results with epoxy rather than "rear view mirror
adhesive." Mine lasted at least a couple of years but I recently got a new
windshield.

> Make sure that all traces of the old glue are gone from all mating surfaces
>
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
> > back
> > to the newsgroup.

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Ashton Crusher - 06 Jun 2006 06:31 GMT

>Hello
>
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
>Thanks

No you are not wrong. I'm not sure why but Ford uses those sometimes
to stick the metal shoe to the windshield. It does seem like really
thick glue. I'd scrap it off and use window adhesive. Like others
have said, the genuine window adhesive doesn't necessarily last for
more then a few years. If you use epoxy you run the risk of making a
mess and it someone yanks too hard on the mirror it may take a chunk
out of the windshield instead of just coming off. I just use either
plain old superglue or the special mirror glue from the auto parts
store.

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Anthony Giorgianni - 07 Jun 2006 02:59 GMT

Thank you everyone. Well, whether that was a piece of plastic or not, I
scraped it off and used the standard mirror glue kit (thanks for the tape
advice, Jim). (It was a real pain getting the plate out of the mirror
housing. Even though I read what folks have said in the past. As a last
resort, I checked the Ford shop manual, and it clarified how to get it out).
Anyway, I let the metal plate sit on the windshield all night and snapped
the mirror on in the morning. On day two so far, and all seems good. I post
back if it falls off in the next few days.

Thanks again everyone for your help!!

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Regards,
Anthony Giorgianni

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to the newsgroup.

>
> >Hello
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
> plain old superglue or the special mirror glue from the auto parts
> store.

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Jim Warman - 07 Jun 2006 07:41 GMT

Anthony... if you had that much faith in your magazine articles, your
typewriter would be dust covered.... Oh - wait a minute... you're typewriter
IS dust covered.... God bless the word processor.... 8^)

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Anthony Giorgianni - 11 Jun 2006 15:50 GMT

You can say that again, Jim.

Still holding, by the way. My XLT is about to hit 80,000. Drats. Now that
I'm using it for commuting, mileage is catching up. Wish they'd still make
'em with a manual. The autos guys at the mag are pushing me toward an Xterra
(too short?), newly-issued Toyota FJ Cruiser (Man, those blind spots, but it
sure is neat looking!). Gonna try to work at home as much as possible and
keep that XLT as long as I can. Still on the first set of brakes!

Signature

Regards,
Anthony Giorgianni

The return address for this post is fictitious. Please reply by posting back
to the newsgroup.

> Anthony... if you had that much faith in your magazine articles, your
> typewriter would be dust covered.... Oh - wait a minute... you're typewriter
> IS dust covered.... God bless the word processor.... 8^)

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Ulysses - 08 Jun 2006 20:25 GMT

> >Hello
> >
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
> mess and it someone yanks too hard on the mirror it may take a chunk
> out of the windshield instead of just coming off

Well, that's one of the reasons I like epoxy--I used the "correct" stuff
once and the mirror fell off and took a chunk of windshield with it.

. I just use either

> plain old superglue or the special mirror glue from the auto parts
> store.

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