suggestion on how to remove mirror

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ramair

Well-known member
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May 28, 2011
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Location
Colorado
My Car
1973 Mustang Coupe 351W
1973 Cougar Convertible(sold)
1966 Mercury Comet 202
1985 F150 4X4
1989 Mercury Cougar XR7
1962 Ford Fairlane
How do you get the side view mirrors off the door when the screw just turns round and round and does not come out. The screw is rusted into the lock nut that is in the door. Preferrably I would like to get the screw out without damaging the door or the mirror.

 
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The door panel is off, but I cannot get my hand up in the door on the backside of the mirror to access the mirror retaining nut.

 
Maybe pull back on the mirror while turning the screw?? The outwards force might cause the nut on the inner door to friction grab enough to remove the screw from it.

 
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Try Brett's idea of some tension - sometimes it works but usually you need to drill out the screw heads

Don

 
How do you get the side view mirrors off the door when the screw just turns round and round and does not come out. The screw is rusted into the lock nut that is in the door. Preferrably I would like to get the screw out without damaging the door or the mirror.
if all those other suggestions fail ,you can remove the glass, this will allow access thru the mirror control port where you can get your fingers on the screws or needle nose pliers to back them out if possiable. there are no nuts, feels like factory threaded caps like the retaining nuts used to hold in the side markers,i believe the holes themselves are threaded and can be heli-coiled.

 
How do you get the side view mirrors off the door when the screw just turns round and round and does not come out. The screw is rusted into the lock nut that is in the door. Preferrably I would like to get the screw out without damaging the door or the mirror.
if all those other suggestions fail ,you can remove the glass, this will allow access thru the mirror control port where you can get your fingers on the screws or needle nose pliers to back them out if possiable. there are no nuts, feels like factory threaded caps like the retaining nuts used to hold in the side markers,i believe the holes themselves are threaded and can be heli-coiled.
My 72 has threaded bushings, not nuts and the holes themselves are not threaded. Ramair will probably end up having to drill the screwheads out.

 
If the screws are turning, I don't know how you will be able to drill them out. The turning drill will simply turn the screws.

You will need a couple of VERY VERY SHARP DRILLS and some JB WELD or other epoxy steel(I prefer FASTSTEEL).

If you can reach UNDER the screw, take the epoxy steel and put it on the inside end of the screw, making sure the epoxy steel is also applied to the door panel. I would not be shy about the amount of epoxy steel that I would use and the amount applied to the door panel. Use a screw driver or a paint stick to spread the epoxy.

After letting it thoroughly dry, drill out the screw with your VERY SHARP DRILL BIT. You might want to try a SMALL DIAMETER drill first and move your way up. The epoxy steel should hold if you applied it properly.

Good luck.

 
I am going to try to get a small pair of vice grips on the backside to keep it from turning then I will try drilling the screw head off, hope it works.

 
How do you get the side view mirrors off the door when the screw just turns round and round and does not come out. The screw is rusted into the lock nut that is in the door. Preferrably I would like to get the screw out without damaging the door or the mirror.
drill the screw out with drill bit. tweak the mirror enough to put the screw in a bind so that it doesnt easily spin. then drill it out. maybe a two person job.
 
drill the screw out with drill bit. tweak the mirror enough to put the screw in a bind so that it doesnt easily spin. then drill it out. maybe a two person job.
The nuts that are used are usually called RIVNUTS and have a good bit of thread area. If you can remove both screws (difficult job) I reccomend installing new RIVNUTS which come in aluminum or steel and in any case use a lubricant for future removal.
 
I was going to suggest grabbing the rivnut from inside. Betting it is spinning.

If the screw is rusted but the head us good with vice grips on the rivnut you might be able to twist the head of the screw off.
 
This is a 12 year old post...... surely it's fixed by now. Having said that, it's still good information as this happens quite often. There is a tool advertised to reinstall Rivnuts.


Legend has it that the original poster ramair is still out in his garage to this very day turning the screw round and round and round and round with his screwdriver.....
 
Legend has it that the original poster ramair is still out in his garage to this very day turning the screw round and round and round and round with his screwdriver.....
He must be old and grey haired by now too!
 

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