Mirror enquiry

[Derek]

On my recently acquired bike I've found that the right side mirror won't move. I took it apart last night and found that the metal ball is firmly stuck in the plastic socket of the mirror backing. I'm unwilling to force it too hard for fear of breaking the glass. For riding in the UK the RH mirror is the most important one for a rear view so I'd appreciate any ideas on how to free it off. Maybe if I warm it up perhaps? I can always swap it with the one from the other side but it would be nice to have two moveable mirrors.

[paso750]

I`d spray some silicone or graphite spray on the ball joint, then hold the mirror assy with both hands with the thumbs near the mirror center and press on one, then the other side. It may take a little and you may have to force a little, too but it should come loose. Putting pressure near the center will reduce risk of the glass breaking.
Don`t use heat, WD40 or any petrol/oil based lubricant.

G.

[Derek]

I have some silcone spray, I'll try that. I'll spray some into the ball joint and leave it for a while to penetrate then hopefully I may get some movement back into it.

[higgy]

try a soak in hot water or vinegar/clr before you use the silicone. the mirror might come off but then you won't have to worry about breaking it and double sided tape of good quality will re attach it. let it cool before you spray the glass

[Derek]

Thanks for the tip. I'll let you know how I get on.

[higgy]

keep silicone away from the mirror as it will etch the glass

[paso750]

silicone grease won`t do that or are you talking about silicone sealant ?!

[higgy]

silicone spray

[paso750]

hmm, never heard and never had anything like that. Still, one should aim on the ball joint not the mirror

[Derek]

Well I got it moving - just. I soaked the mirror in hot water as suggested with no result. While it was still warm I applied a little silicon spray, then gripping the the shaft of the ball joints with a a pair of pliers I was able to move it a little. Once it started moving I applied a little more silicon and worked the ball joint in each direction. It is still very stiff but at least I can adjust it now so that I can see more than my knee

[paso750]

perfect so now you have a good view on your ellbow

[higgy]

hmm, never heard and never had anything like that. Still, one should aim on the ball joint not the mirror

True but if you spray too much it will drip around to the glass side

Had a girlfriend once cleaned the windshield of my Fiat 124 with silicone spray. Big white streaks everywhere,had to replace it. Have not seen her or that Fiat in more than 30 years now

[paso750]

who does that ?! Fine grit sandpaper would`ve cleaned so much better

[Janky59]

On a short ride yesterday I noticed the LH mirror had a lot of movement and I came across this topic along with many others on our lovely machines while researching how to tackle the fix.
As I am new to the Paso line I am devouring the great repository here, and where gaps exist on details I’ll work to add to the information.
Today I dug into the loose mirror situation and have some pictures from my work to help the next person with some insight.

To get to the single screw previous people have mentioned the turn signal lens gets removed and the bulb holder is loosened and moved out of the way.
Now you can see the single Phillips head screw just below the post for the bulb holder.

E42946B4-2F0B-4480-873C-0025CB181E7E.jpeg (227.48 KiB) Viewed 12320 times

As this screw gets loosened the mirror holder will start the walk out of its recess, keep a hand or rag over the mirror side so it doesn’t drop to the floor and go all Humpty Dumpty on you.
Now you see what the mirror holder looks like, and the ball & socket that Derek (previous posts) had trouble with. Mine was also reluctant to move at all. Some thin lubricant and gradually working the ball post got it free. Thread the mounting screw back in if you grab the post with pliers. The ball/post is die cast metal and as tight as I had to grip it, I feared cracking it or deforming it so I reinserted the screw.

1FA65254-5CD5-46A7-A4C9-10CB4D06D749.jpeg (100.68 KiB) Viewed 12320 times

While I was at it, I figured I might as well take a look at the other side. Well, I didn’t expect that.

86229DE7-8232-4266-9636-71E2D2CBCC42.jpeg (115.88 KiB) Viewed 12320 times

The ball is still snug and the holder has a good grip on the ball, even with that crack. Actually I prefer this grip level over the LH one. This RH one has enough resistance to stay in position, yet to move the mirror doesn’t require excessive force. The LH one, I have to press on it so hard it feels like something is going to break to get to move.
I have them both adjusted to my liking, so they should not have to be disturbed.
Cheers.