Date:         Tue, 20 Jun 2006 13:40:34 EDT
Reply-To:     JordanVw@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         JordanVw@AOL.COM
Subject:      repairing busted off power mirrors....
Comments: cc: vanagon@yahoogroups.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

the other day i was transporting a vanagon door with the power mirror still
attached..  i had it folded back against the door, but there was some weight on
it.. and during transport, i went over a bump..and the mirror snapped off. it
was a passengers side, no less!  grr..    from now on i will remove the power
mirrors before i remove the door!!

so many good power mirrors go to waste because of the sh*tty pot metal shaft
that snaps off in the neck..  its a bad design.. the  pivoting neck of the
power mirror has a pot metal threaded tube that screws into the base, that the
wires pass thru and it pivots on.  its also spring loaded, so that adds to the
stress on this thin pot metal shaft/tube.

has anyone sucessfully repaired the broken off potmetal shaft where it goes
into the power mirror housing?     i have devised a fix..   am thinking of
using threaded brass piping.. the same diameter as the stock potmetal
tube/shaft..and then drilling out the broken off part in the mirror housing, threading it,
and then running the brass pipe in there..  and it will be stronger than the
original potmetal..and be able to use the original tightening nut and spring
in the base, and still allow the wires to pass thru..

so dont pitch those busted power mirrors!!   they are fixable..

chris