How to Replace and Repair a crack or broken Car or Truck Mirror Glass
Channel: Internet Glass Network/Auto-glass.com
Date: 2016-10-21

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http://www.auto-glass.com/carmirror.htm
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Now how do you remove that old  mirror to get the new one in. Well, you first must breakdown the mirror from the frame. One simple way to do this is to get a flat strong instrument like a wide screw driver, putty knife or scraper.  Not many of you have the scraper, but when you go to our order form page we could sell you one. Its a nice thing to have around your toolbox. Now to loosen the adhesive from the plate you must apply some heat. Ideally a propane torch is good, but if you have the wife's hairdryer or a heat gun that will also work. Heat up the mirror enough so that the adhesive behind the  mirror loosens from it bond to the frame. This will make it easier to remove the broken glass using the putty knife, or the scraper under the mirror and pull all the broken pieces off the frame. Make sure you are wearing gloves and protective eyewear, oh, and its also a smart idea to put a small garbage bucket under the housing you are working on, so that the glass falls into the bucket and not on the ground. After the side view mirror glass is removed, make sure all the mirror and adhesive is clean off the framed plate.

Once you have removed your  side view mirror from the frame, you now need to apply the glue to the black frame. First thing to do is clean the frame with a non ammonia based cleaner so read you widow cleaner. Apply the glue outward so it extends past the lip of the frame. I call this the snow cone effect. Glue it in 5 spots. One in the middle and 4 corners 1 inch from the frame edge so it will not ooze out of the frame, making a mess. If by chance this does happen do not try to clean the silicone off and let it dry as it is very difficult to clean off when smeared on any glass surface. If you order the silicone from us or have purchased a tube, cut a 3/8 inch diameter from the tip. Use Large dabs of the adhesive 3/8" inch wide by 1/2" outwards. Remember you are not installing a windshield that requires a strong adhesive although a non latex silicone has a psi of 195. Once you have adhered the  mirror to the frame, get some easily removable tape, like masking tape or blue painters tape. Tape the mirror around the mirror housing so that the mirror will not slide off the frame. The drying time is normally 4 hours at 65 degrees and a little longer at 32 degrees. So we suggest you keep the tape on for 24 hours for cold climates and 4 hours in warmer area until the glue dries.