)&*&%$$&^ Mirrors!!!!!

[Buckskin]

Took my mirrors off to install some turn signal LED's. That went fine. Now trying to re-install the mirrors and after 1/2 hour and lots of sweat I had to come inside to cool off. Yes, I have a video that I have watched 20 times and that lining up the top pin is not that hard in the video, but it will not catch when I put it in the lower slot and push down to line up the lower pins and snap it in.
Got one side to catch and then the front will not catch the pin.
This is nuts!.
Buckskin

 

[Bob Denman]

It's not nuts: it's just an acquired skill:

...And here's what you told me about nailing them back into place... (Worked like a charm!)
First, make sure the mirror spring wires are straight and parallel. If they are bent inward they may not catch the post,
and if they diverge or bend outward, the mirror will be loose. It can help to put a very tiny bit of lube on the outer,
conical part of the post only. I'm talking about a film here, not a glob. Make sure there is none on the back side (post notch).
Engage the keyhole slot first. Then rap downward firmly (but politely) on the outer edge of the mirror to seat the bottom latch.
Now rap forward on the outer edge of the mirror to seat the front latch. You can rap a little harder than you can taking the
mirrors off, because they won't fly across the room, but don't get carried away. Problems seating the latches are usually
caused by bent spring wires.

 

[ThreeWheels]

Now tell us how you really feel................

The technique that works for me is to put the top slider into the pin, then put the lower pin in place.
The third pin is held in place with one of those spring loaded clips. A sharp rap on the mirror housing, directed inward usually seats the mirrors.
Some here have modified the housing to eliminate the spring clip, using screws to hold the mirror in place.
Hope that helps.

 

[trikermutha]

I like to use white spray grease on the metal tabs..Makes it go on easy when reinstalling the mirrors.

 

[Buckskin]

&*&%$$&^ Mirrors!!!!!

Thanks to the 3 of you that responded so quickly. Got my breath back and will go back and give it another try. The wire springs seems to be pretty straight to me and will give that ball a little shot of white lube. I would like to see that screw modification/whew!
Buckskin

 

[Bob Denman]

:thumbup: You'll get it... :thumbup:

 

[AeroPilot]

Yep- white lithium grease

Okay, I clean the dirty gunked up grease off when the mirrors are off like every oil change, and then a little dab,,, I mean a FILM of white grease from the tube on the three pins.. and the mirror then gets hooked on the top mount pin slot. Then just the little rap (or push) down to seat the lower pin in the spring clip, then a short rap (or push) forward to seat the front spring clip. Doesn't hurt to get a couple of spare top and spring clips when you can from the dealer.

 

[Buckskin]

Ok, somehow I got the right side to catch all three posts with a little bit of white grease. The left top post is a problem. As I engage the keyhole, and push down, nothing catches. There is a button on the top and a thin slot and behind that is a shoulder. Neither on engages the keyhole. Which one is supposed to catch it? The plastic piece that has two small screws is too thick to allow it to get behind and rest on the keyhole. I can get the two lower pins to engage but the top is just flopping. Will not get into the keyhole. Which slot is supposed to engage?
Buckskin
That is a tired setup to hook the mirrors to the body......

It's not nuts: it's just an acquired skill:

...And here's what you told me about nailing them back into place... (Worked like a charm!)
First, make sure the mirror spring wires are straight and parallel. If they are bent inward they may not catch the post,
and if they diverge or bend outward, the mirror will be loose. It can help to put a very tiny bit of lube on the outer,
conical part of the post only. I'm talking about a film here, not a glob. Make sure there is none on the back side (post notch).
Engage the keyhole slot first. Then rap downward firmly (but politely) on the outer edge of the mirror to seat the bottom latch.
Now rap forward on the outer edge of the mirror to seat the front latch. You can rap a little harder than you can taking the
mirrors off, because they won't fly across the room, but don't get carried away. Problems seating the latches are usually
caused by bent spring wires.

 

[Bob Denman]

It just sort of hangs on that top post.
The bottom, and front hook-ups, are what hold things together.

 

[Buckskin]

Good idea. I come from Goldwing family and those dealers do not stock a single screw for those that loose one here and there. Have to order what you need and wait 3 days for it to come in.
Are the Can Am dealers a little better about this? I could use a couple of the black large head with #30 torx head with black washer and did not want to have to drive 30 miles to order one screw.
Buckskin

Okay, I clean the dirty gunked up grease off when the mirrors are off like every oil change, and then a little dab,,, I mean a FILM of white grease from the tube on the three pins.. and the mirror then gets hooked on the top mount pin slot. Then just the little rap (or push) down to seat the lower pin in the spring clip, then a short rap (or push) forward to seat the front spring clip. Doesn't hurt to get a couple of spare top and spring clips when you can from the dealer.

 

[Buckskin]

Yeah well, the hanging part is just that. Hanging out about 1/2" and just dangling there. No pinning it. It has to engage that keyhole with the button to keep it from pulling out with a gap. If it caught that slot in the keyhole, then it would hold it firm against the body.
Otherwise, why even the slot behind the button? The black plastic piece is too thick to even slide into that first slot. I can't push the top in far enough to make it maybe catch that back shoulder and let it rest on that part of the post.
Buckskin

It just sort of hangs on that top post.
The bottom, and front hook-ups, are what hold things together.

 

[Buckskin]

Just to make sure, there is no wire supposed to be in the top keyhole, right? Now as I understand the keyhole thing, the pin would go into the large part of the keyhole and then the mirror is pushed down to allow the pin to slide up into the smaller part of the keyhole?
As it is, the pin goes into the hole and just rides up into the slot and comes right back out. No capturing of the pin is happening.
Buckskin

Probably the top plastic C shaped thing is broken and the smaller section is gone. Not much else there to go bad.

 

[Bob Denman]

Hang it on the top rear post...
push in a little bit on the rear of the mirror, and give it a bit of a rap downward...
push in on the front of the mirror, and give the lower rear edge of the housing a rap forward...

 

[SteveLaoyster]

I recommend posting some pictures. Someone should be able to point out your problem once they see them.

 

[Peter Aawen]

Compare the left & right top slotted bits, it sounds very much like the left one is busted, as PMK suggested earlier. :shocked:

I think CanAm call them 'pellets' or something like that - back around 2013ish the OE offerings were renowned for breaking just about every time you took a mirror off, & a lot of us complained, some frequently!! Mid to late 2014 (I think, it coulda been 2015 tho?)) a newer, less fragile version was released & the regular threads on 'why are my mirrors falling off' sorta thing stopped appearing quite so often. I'll go looking for some of my earlier pics of busted & entire 'pellets' for you, but it really does sound like just comparing your right (working) pellet with the left (not working) pellet would reveal which one is busted & won't ever work. :thumbup:

 

[Buckskin]

I really hate to pull that right mirror off as it was a mess getting in finally on. As for hanging the mirror on the pin, it does not do that. I come in high and lower it and push in somewhat and give it a rap to drive it downward. Is it supposed to catch on that pin with the grooves in it? Likely the front groove. That keyhole slot C shaped piece is too thick to allow the piece to slip on the groove on the pin. If it's supposed to do that, its like the pin is not out far enough to catch that groove. The mirror will not push in enough to catch on that pin......
There is a thin slot and then a shoulder behind it. Is either one supposed to catch in that key slot? Right now neither is doing so.
Buckskin

Compare the left & right top slotted bits, it sounds very much like the left one is busted, as PMK suggested earlier. :shocked:

I think CanAm call them 'pellets' or something like that - back around 2013ish the OE offerings were renowned for breaking just about every time you took a mirror off, & a lot of us complained, some frequently!! Mid to late 2014 (I think, it coulda been 2015 tho?)) a newer, less fragile version was released & the regular threads on 'why are my mirrors falling off' sorta thing stopped appearing quite so often. I'll go looking for some of my earlier pics of busted & entire 'pellets' for you, but it really does sound like just comparing your right (working) pellet with the left (not working) pellet would reveal which one is busted & won't ever work. :thumbup:

 

[Peter Aawen]

That sounds awfully much like the 'thin' bit of the keyhole slot C has been broken off & your description of how it hangs off the side of the Spyder is pretty much EXACTLY what a mirror with a broken upper pellet does - it is likely that your upper pellet on that side is broken & needs to be replaced. I've had a quick look but can't readily find my pics of broken vs complete pellets, but I'm reasonably sure that if you could remove the two or three little screws holding it in & then take & post up a pic of the elements of that upper pellet, someone here could definitely identify it as broken or not - or you doing a 5 second comparison with the one you have that doesn't hang off like that could do the same, altho I do appreciate your concerns about removing something that can be so hard to get back on... :shocked:

The 'thin slot' is meant to have a section in it which is only just as wide as the shank of the pin behind the bulbous head; the thicker sections above & behind that (deeper into the pellet) are there to stop the head going in too far or down too far.... The thin bit is usually the bit that breaks, generally losing about a third of the 'side' of the slot, but that is the essential third & without it there, the head of the pin has nothing behind it to hold the mirror on, & there is not enough of the rest of the thin keyhole bit left to keep it in place, so the mirror flops out at the top instead of being held firmly in. pps:

I really think you need a new upper left mirror pellet - sorry.

 

[youngers]

o kay I posted a picture for you , now look closely but not real close , ! now go pop them mirrors on buddy !

 

[Bob Denman]

Here's what they should look like...



What are you seeing? :dontknow:

 

[Buckskin]

Peter, I think you have made some sense of this. Here the deal. Both pellets look the same... I am thinking you are correct and that the right one is likely just barely just hanging on. And I don't dare push on it much. If I could see what a good pellet looks like, then I would know for sure. I'm new to the Spyder thing and don't know how good the parts are in the local dealerships are.
Rather than drive 30 miles or more and find I have to order the parts, is there a known dealer/parts source here that I can just order the parts myself?
Anybody got a picture of the good pellet handy? What with all the banging and pushing one has to do with the mirrors to remove and re-install them, it would stand to reason that something can break off and the mirror will not hold properly.
Buckskin
Buckskin

That sounds awfully much like the 'thin' bit of the keyhole slot C has been broken off & your description of how it hangs off the side of the Spyder is pretty much EXACTLY what a mirror with a broken upper pellet does - it is likely that your upper pellet on that side is broken & needs to be replaced. I've had a quick look but can't readily find my pics of broken vs complete pellets, but I'm reasonably sure that if you could remove the two little screws holding it in & then take & post up a pic of the elements of that upper pellet, someone here could definitely identify it as broken or not - or you doing a 5 second comparison with the one you have that doesn't hang off like that could do the same, altho I do appreciate your concerns about removing something that can be so hard to get back on... :shocked:

The 'thin slot' is meant to have a section in it which is only just as wide as the shank of the pin behind the bulbous head; the thicker sections above & behind that (deeper into the pellet) are there to stop the head going in too far or down too far.... The thin bit is usually the bit that breaks, generally losing about a third of the 'side' of the slot, but that is the essential third & without it there, the head of the pin has nothing behind it to hold the mirror on, & there is not enough of the rest of the thin keyhole bit left to keep it in place, so the mirror flops out at the top instead of being held firmly in. pps:

I really think you need a new upper left mirror pellet - sorry.