Topic: breaking a stock mirror apart

[nomad]

Anyone ever taken a stock mirror apart?  The chrome finish on this one is just ok at best and I was wanting to get it chromed properly.  I don't see anyway to take the swivel (mirror) part off of the stem.  If you're willing to break the mirror in it to get to it's "guts" would you find a nut/ screw in there that would let you break it down all the way?  Anyone got an old mirror that's ready for the trash (or have already done this) that they'd be willing to do this to?  Better yet, anyone got one that's already broken that they can look at?  THANKS!

[Damfino]

Why? I would think you could find a genuine Honda replacement for less than the cost of re-chroming and repairing that one.

[nomad]

Why? I would think you could find a genuine Honda replacement for less than the cost of re-chroming and repairing that one.

This is a brand new Honda replacement, but the chrome finish from the factory is meh...  Definitely could look better imo.

[bollingball]

Is it chrome ? Or stainless? Have you tried to buff it?

[nomad]

Is it chrome ? Or stainless? Have you tried to buff it?

Chrome.  Yeah, I'll try buffing it before doing anything too drastic just to see what will happen.

[HondanutRider]

Not sure about the construct of your particular mirror, but I have removed the glass/mirror in several in the past, by carefully prying the rubber sealing ring that holds it in the frame.  You have to get under the glass with a small knife blade, or something similar, and work the glass out from the rubber which retains it.  I have broken glass in the past, trying to do this with seals that were not really rubbery, but rather a hard plastic, which maybe would soften with a heat gun - but also would maybe melt.

At any rate, once the glass is out, most mirrors I've seen have a nut holding the frame onto the ball of the stem, along with a spring arrangement that allows it to pivot.  These can be disassembled.

[LBM 550F]

Hi.
I had dissembled both stock mirrors on my 550F to tighten up the tension nut, Don't try to pull the rubber ring out instead push it into the mirror with a piece of stiff plastic or wood. Work around the glass with dish soap helps. It works! and on reassembly use wd-40 put the rubber ring on the glass and carefully (with gloves on!!) push the whole matter together.
                        L.

[nomad]

New mirror from Honda... no rubber rings (at least that are visible).  It appears that the metal housing is simply crimped around the glass.  Did the original mirrors from the early K's look like these?

[nomad]

Can anyone point me towards any other after market mirrors that look similar to these that can be disassembled if need be?  I'd like to keep the "stock" feel if possible.

[HondanutRider]

Hi.
I had dissembled both stock mirrors on my 550F to tighten up the tension nut, Don't try to pull the rubber ring out instead push it into the mirror with a piece of stiff plastic or wood. Work around the glass with dish soap helps. It works! and on reassembly use wd-40 put the rubber ring on the glass and carefully (with gloves on!!) push the whole matter together.
                        L.

That sounds like a much better technique than I described for dis-assembly.  Pushing the rubber in all the way around, rather than trying to pop the glass out, would be more likely to prevent breakage.