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I have searched all over this site and I am trying to figure out how to remove the actual mirror from the mirror assembly. Most mirrors snap in and out of the housing but i didn't want to assume that and crack the mirror. I was reading about the screws behind the mirror however I could only locate and remove 2 of them. Thank you in advance for the help with this. This is the last piece to prep for my 10th AE restoration. After this it goes out for soda blasting and paint!
AFAIK you cannot remove the guts of the mirror without removing the glass. You need to gently heat up the mirror glass with a hair dryer until it's good and hot (wear gloves). Then insert something flat between the mirror glass and the black plastic surround and carefully apply gentle upward pressure until the glass lifts from the backing. I used a feeler gauge, but then my glass was trashed so I wasn't worried about replacing it. With the glass out, set it aside.
Then if I recall correctly there is a single screw in the center ball-joint that needs to be removed, and you can gently pull the plastic backing forward and the worm gears will click out of the motors. Again, gently.
After the black plastic backing is out, you can reach the remaining screws. If you break the glass or yours needs replacing, the ones on eBay (I can look up the brand later) work great. Make sure to order the S4 TII one and not the S4 NA or S5 one, the shape is different. If your glass is O.K, you can re-install it in reverse of removal, remembering to heat the adhesive and glass thoroughly before gently pushing it back in.
Sorry if i didn't explain this correctly. I am trying to remove the glass mirror from the mirror housing. The mirror glass itself sits within a plastic shroud. I am trying to get the entire mirror out of the assemby. Does it just snap in to mirror housing?
The glass is held in with a heat activated glue of some sort. It's like the sticky stuff they use to seal brake lights.
To remove just the glass, you need to heat it with a hair dryer until it's hot and then pry it out from the black plastic plate it sits on. It's difficult to do this without breaking or scratching the glass, but it is possible.
If you just want the glass out, then you're done. If you want to remove anything further, you can disassemble the mirror from there.
