Who knows tools?

Topic: Who knows tools? (Read 1995 times) previous topic - next topic

Who knows tools?

October 19, 2014, 08:45:38 PM

I need to find an extremely thin #2 Phillips ratchet to remove this screw.... unless I'm tackling this the wrong way. I want to remove the mirror housing from the mount upon which it sits. The screw ratchets, or whatever they're called, that I have are too tall to squeeze between the mirror and the housing. Has anyone done this? It's a mirror from an 80s Town Car. The mirrors and attachment methods are probably similar to Cadillacs and others from the 70s and 80s.

Who knows tools?

Reply #1 – October 19, 2014, 08:57:55 PM

I don't think you will find one slim enough to get in there. You may have luck with a bit held by a small vice grip. You could even cut the bit down some if needed.

That screw was likely installed before the mirror and backing was snapped into the housing.

Who knows tools?

Reply #2 – October 20, 2014, 08:17:18 AM

I second the needle-nose vise grips.

Or, if it's not too tight, put a small flat blade screw driver on the outer edge of the phillips pattern and tap it counter clockwise.

Who knows tools?

Reply #3 – October 20, 2014, 08:28:34 PM

I think the key here is removal of the mirror off the assy.

with the mirror out, the mount may reveal itself....
I wonder if the mirror "pops" out.

Who knows tools?

Reply #4 – October 20, 2014, 09:15:54 PM

You could go old school. Get rid of the ratchet to remove this screw. Take a small thin wrench like the ones craftsman sales and they all come in a small bag. Use the box end of the wrench and insert a #2 Phillips tip. You know like the sets that you see that come with one screwdriver handle. After putting the tip into the 12pt box end wrench, hot glue it. This prevents the tip from falling out while you are wrenching out the screw. No ratchet involved. Your doing the work instead of taking up time to figure something out. Hope this helps.

Who knows tools?

Reply #5 – October 21, 2014, 09:51:00 AM

Thanks for everyone's ideas. I tried various things from here and my head and got more bold with pulling and prying as I was trying to fit the bit into the screw. The next challenge was that once behind the mirror and positioned for the screw, all of the bits were too tall. They ended up hitting the bottom center pushrod that runs between the back side of the mirror and the motor assembly. That rod sits dead center above the screw. I tried to see if the mirror pops off at a point that can be re-attached. As I was trying to separate the mirror from the pushrods (where it appeared to be a safe place to separate), the pushrods ended up pulling out of the motor assembly and remaining attached to the mirror. The pushrods though are threaded and it didn't appear that I damaged them, or the mating parts within the motor, enough to prevent re-use. I hesitated from doing this in the beginning for fear of breaking something but it seems to be ok. So then, yes, once the mirror was off, everything else was removable and I have the mirror housing, the mirror, the motor and the mount all separated. I won't know for sure that it all still works until I reassemble it on another car for which it wasn't designed. Hopefully I can grab a mirror from that car today (it's stored somewhere else).

Who knows tools?

Reply #6 – October 22, 2014, 01:49:28 PM

I think they are "timed" meaning the rods and things to achieve a "zero out" position/location.. meaning they motor evenly has the same up/down/left/right motion capability.

power mirrors are complicated fickle suckers.

my wifes old car had manual mirrors with the adjustment inside by a single handle, the single handle being removed revealed 4 tiny cables , the timing was built into the length of each cable.