How to properly re-glue your rear view mirror......

[red98GTS]

I posted this some time ago, so for those of you who know this already, I'm sorry about the repeat performance here, but some of you have asked me what the deal is on this. This applies not only to your Viper, but to any other car you may have with the glued-on rear view to the windshield. So, hopefully, this will help somebody eventually. You have two choices here. One, you can take it to any auto glass shop and they will glue it back on for you and charge you a few bucks to do it. If you have done this, and the mirror still falls off once in a while, go to your second option: buy a "one-shot" kit and do it yourself.
These little kits are available at almost any auto parts store and you want to buy the one made by Loctite specifically for the rear view mirror. NOTHING ELSE. No epoxies, no two-part glues, no Superglue, nothing. OK. Here's how to do it RIGHT. Mark on the outside.....yes, the outside of the windshield with a magic marker or grease pencil, directly over the spot where the old bracket fell off. You can usually see some of the old adhesive left. Mark it with a dot right there. This will be your reference point when you go to glue the bracket back on. Otherwise, you will just be guessing. Take a brand new and only brand new single edge razor blade and use it to remove any leftover adhesive from the inside of the windshield until it is completely gone and clean. An old, dull blade can scratch. Now, remove the bracket from the mirror with a screwdriver. Don't attempt to do this with the bracket attached to the mirror! The kit will contain two things: a primer and a glue. Take the primer and apply it LIBERALLY to the area where the bracket will be glued. DO NOT WIPE IT OFF. Leave it to dry for a bit. The secret is not wiping off the primer. Do the same to the bracket surface after you have cleaned it just like the windshield. If you use the single edge razor to clean it, be careful. Those things remove fingerprints instantly. At this point, be SURE you have the windshield side of the bracket up, and prime the surface just like you did the windshield and DO NOT WIPE IT OFF. Let it dry for a minute or two. That's long enough.
Now, you can apply a couple of drops of the glue to the bracket. More than that is worse than less. Immediately press the bracket to the windshield using the mark you made as your guide. Just moderate pressure is fine, and hold it there for two full minutes if it is relatively warm where you are doing the work. Release the bracket and immediately wipe any glue from around the bracket with a paper towel, going around the bracket in a circular motion so as not to smear the excess glue all over the dern thing. Wait about ten or fifteen minutes, and put the mirror back on and tighten the screw. You don't need to wait till the next day, wait until after dinner, wait until you "think" it's on.....just ten or fifteen minutes is plenty. That's it. If you followed these instructions, it should be a done deal for a long time. 99 out of 100 never need to be re-glued after this, although some brackets are not perfectly flat and sometimes a new bracket helps a troublesome re-glue repeat. Oh, one last thing.....DO NOT use a grinder or a wire wheel to clean the bracket!!!! Once scratched or gouged, the ability of the glue to hold the bracket is diminished. I know that doesn't make sense, but...........just don't. Hope this hasn't bored you to tears.....somehow I can hear grown men openly weeping now........pete the ex glass guy

 

[CAS]

lol Pete - thanks for that ... No tears over here!

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Now that Pete the egg has told how to put it on, think about moving it over! I moved mine about 6 inches to the right to get it out of my field of vision; now I look over the passenger's left shoulder to see out back, but lots more visibility out front. The OEM way to stick the mirror peg on uses a thin clear double sticky tape that I was able to razor blade through in a minute. Pete, anything here to make the "move" easier?

 

[Magicboy2]

Great info Pete! I think I may also have to go with the six inch offset.

 

[SnakeAv8r]

Any tips on removing the mirror? I just put in a camera and monitor, so I would like to launch it from my view. I know you can crack it quite easily.
Thank you

 

[red98GTS]

Gee, you guys want ALL my secrets, don't you. If I give you this one, do you promise not to blame me if you screw it up? Yeah? OK. You twisted my arm. Yes, there is a way to "move the bracket", but it's gonna scare you when I tell you how. First, get the Kleenex out since the boredom factor in this glass stuff is off the scale, and truly now I can hear open weeping and sobbing from my monitor. OK> here it is. But......remember....you promised! First thing, get a propane torch and a pair of pliers. I know. I know. You weren't ready for that, were you? Remove the mirror from the existing bracket on the windshield.
Notice: that thing is glued on and won't budge. Yet. It will. Just do exactly as I say. Light the torch, and with one hand, grab the bracket ON IT'S SIDES with the pliers. With the other hand, now read carefully........heat the bracket very, very slowly by putting the flame from the torch on the bracket and off the bracket.....about one second blasts. In a few seconds, the heat from the torch will heat the bracket just enough to loosen the glue and the bracket will yield to a slight twisting motion you will give it with the hand holding the pliers. Got it? OK. Now. Here's the downside. You can screw up bigtiime by overheating the bracket and guess what. Yes, that. Either you will crack the glass OR a big hunk of glass will come out of the windshield with the bracket. Guess how I found this out. Right.
BUT>>>YOU aren't gonna do that, are you? No you're not. You are going to just barely heat the thing VERY VERY slowly (well, not that slowly) until it budges and comes right off. Don't forget that thing is gonna be hotter than hell and don't let it fall from the pliers and land in your lap. Guess how I found that out. Right. Use the single edge razor blade (a new one) to clean up the existing glue and follow the re-glue instructions I posted to put the bracket back on where you want it. OK, start crying now. Pete the XGG
PS>Tom>are you sure that "factory OEM clear double sided tape" is tape? The factory stuff AND the rear view adhesive looks just like thin clear "vinyl" and kinda stretchy when you take it off with a razor. Not that it matters. I just never heard of a double sided clear sticky tape ever being used for that bracket by any manufacturer.....but....HEY.....you are the man......and.....we're not worthy.....we're not worthy.....etc.