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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Door mirror

(firstly I must thank Tex for supplying a new part for a 9 year old mirror (and FOC))


Door mirror rattle (thread/post for info)


I had a rattle on my driver's door mirror so I took it apart off the car and to my surprise the rattle seemed to be from flakes of rust off a clamping plate inside the mirror head.

The plate clamps to the plastic top of the mounting arm to provide adjustment to the angle of the mirror.

I scraped more flakes of rust off the plate and wire brushed it but it had corroded badly and even had holes worn through.

The replacement is bright and shiny and perhaps a different finish to the previous one.

The rest of the door mirror unit and glass look as good as new despite their 9 years of permanently living outside.



Nigel Atkins

Nigel, was there a light coil spring between that plate and the back of the glass? Pretty sure mine has one. If the spring is missing then the glass rattles.
There were some cheap fake TEX ones around that just used a bit of sponge in place of the spring which obviously just encourages rusting.
GuyW

Hi Guy,
no coil spring on mine, the glass is held by the plastic surround seal (which was also replaced) and squashed small strips of er, seal I'd guess which are stuck on to the back of the mirror glass.

I got mine from MGOC Spares so hopefully it isn't a fake.

Rather apt as I was just about to post photo below which will explain more than I can.

The photo is before I cleaned and rust proofed the inside and screws, it doesn't show how good the arm and head actually are.

Nigel Atkins

I can't put a photo up of the back of the mirror glass with the strips on as I've put everything back together and back on the car but here's old and new clamps and plastic seals.

Nigel Atkins

The version with the coil spring is probably an earlier, more substantial, costlier version.

I have also come across some of the versions like Nigel's, with four small foam strips at the edges. These are liable to rattle due to the foam losing its springiness.

I have stopped them from rattling by screwing up some bubble wrap and placing it inside the housing to exert some pressure on the back of the glass - like a spring - before reassembling.
Dave O'Neill 2

ETA: Next week I'll contact Tex again to see if my mirror and glass with strips on is genuine or not.

If it is fake then the exterior stainless finish is well done as it looks so good after 9 years outside.

ETA 2: Beaten to it by Dave.

If it is the strips I'll know next time I drive but apart from rust on one strip they seemed fine and seem to hold the glass well.

If not I'll follow Dave's example as I can risk taking the sealing strip out again as it's new.
Nigel Atkins

(I can't type fast enough for the edit guillotine)

One strip was against the rusty flakes on the clamp so I've now padded that strip out to allow for that.
Nigel Atkins

Ah, - I understood the ones with foam (strips) were faked copies. But maybe that isn't the case and they are just a legitimate manufacturer's updated version.

Mine has the black plastic insert but without some sort of pressure from the back - provided by the spring in my case, - the plastic strip on its own wouldn't prevent the glass from rattling.

Hazy memory now, but Nigel wasn't it you who sent me an aluminium wedge piece for mine where it fastens to the plinth arm? - some years ago now but that repair is still good!
GuyW

Nigel, if afterward your mirror assembly vibrates or is loose against the door, I have a great fix for that and it's cheap and solid too.

Find a couple of T nuts at a hardware shop. These look like a T and have 3 prongs. They are used in woodworking and fit behind the wood. When a bolt is tightened it pulls the T into the wood and the prongs stop it from turning.

For our cars, find 2 bolts that fit the T nut. With a long pair or needle nose pliers, grasp a prong, slip it between the door skin and glass so the flat part of the nut is toward the skin and align it with the opening for the original screw hole, pass the bolt through the mirror attachment bracket and tighten it into the nut. When both bolts are in, snug them up tight. (Remove the door's plastic plug inserts first though.)

The mirror bracket is now solidly held against the door. You can add some loc-tite thread locker to the bolt for added security from loosening up if you want.

Don't drop the T nut otherwise it's an afternoon of fishing with wire or taking off the door trim panel. (lol)

Did this to mine years ago and the mirror assembly is mounted as solid as the rock of Gibraltar.

Cheers,
Clare
C Ravenwood

Nigel, I don't understand why your mirror pedestal is still in such clean condition. I have the same mirrors and the pedestal (made of that horrible alloy) are all pitted and nasty after 8 years. The mirror head is fine, but then it's stainless steel.
Mike Howlett

Hi Guy,
I might have offered to send you the wedge but it wasn't me that actually sent you it as my spare wedge (they were sold in pairs) is still in my shed.

I think, certainly not sure, I can vaguely remember someone else on here also offering but not who.
Nigel Atkins

Hi Clare,
thanks for that I will bear it in mind as at sometime I've got to strip the doors down to do some non-urgent work on them that I'll avoid as long as possible.
Nigel Atkins

Hi Mike,
I don't know, mine looks like it's chromed and the finish is still very good, same for the chrome plinth below it.

My car doesn't get cleaned that often, previously it would have been washed and very occasionally polished (both with Autoglym) but for the last few years or so I've been using a couple of different makes of waterless wash and wax.

The weather here is usually quite moderate but the last couple of winters I've noticed more dampness and condensation, particularly under the bonnet so also on the rocker cover and cylinder head.
Nigel Atkins

To conclude, I still have a rattle but it's not from the mirror (I *guess* it's from the glass not fully seated in the wind-up mech).

I might be kidding myself but I think the rusty metal flakes that fell off inside the mirror head did vibrate and give a tinkly type rattle which added to the other rattle in that area because I think the current rattle sounds different. So overall a useful exercise and the mirror would have needed repairing sometime in the future as the clamping plate would have broken at one screw fixing point.

Downside is it means I'll be reminded that I should get the doors done.
Nigel Atkins

Nigel,
Are you sure that the rattle isn't from the mirror glass still? Without a spring behind it, the plastic edging strip on its own won't hold the glass firmly in place.
Easy test of course is to go for a drive, and when you can hear the rattle just press lightly on the glass with one finger. If it stops, then the mirror glass is still the culprit.
GuyW

Hi Guy,
sorry I've not made it clear, it's not just the new plastic outer seal that (locates and) holds the glass steady it's also the 4 (or it might be 6, I can't remember) foamyish strips of seal on the back of the glass. They held the glass firm for 9 years and seem to be continuing to do so but I will check.

Next time I got out I'll try driving with the mirror on and then taking the mirror off the plinth, as it's only a matter of undoing a small grub screw, to be sure it's not the mirror. I couldn't do it before as I had the boss with me and she was imposing time pressures.

First time I've driven this winter with the hood up and the heater on, I only put the heater on in case it needed the inside of the heater box drying out as the last time the heater was on was for the passenger rides at the start of November. Normally with the hood up having the heater on makes the boss's feet too hot or my head too warm depending on the use of one or both of the footwell doors.
Nigel Atkins

on a related subject, my mirrors keep falling off. Mounted on a rubbishy plastic thingy that deforms when you try and tighten them up. Any tips on that pain in the rear?
Rob Armstrong

Rob, check out my solution to that problem in this thread.

Cheers,
Clare
C Ravenwood

I don't think that is his problem Clare.
Rob, if you are meaning the oblong plastic piece with the wedge shaped ends, mine uses a block of aluminium in place of the plastic. Works well and gives a solid positive location. I have a memory that someone on the BBS sent me one, and thought it was Nigel, but he says it wasn't him.

It would be easy enough to make one.
GuyW

Rob,
no doubt you'll have a bit of spare metal and make your own, I got a pair via a well known auction site.

Photo shows metal and original plastic and screws, I'm not good enough to get a better photo.

Nigel Atkins

Those plastic bits are cr@p.

They were originally metal, but some bright spark obviously decided that they could save 1p per unit by making them out of plastic.
Dave O'Neill 2

Rob, l have found the spare that l have. You can have it if you can tell me where to post it.
GuyW

Sorry Rob and well done to Guy, I should have made the offer Guy has but I didn't think of it (I thought no more than you'd make your own).

I had a quick look to see who made the offer to Guy in the past but haven't found out.
Nigel Atkins

Just to complete this, now I've remembered, door mirror no longer rattles or tinkles. With the rust flakes removed, new clamp plate and outer plastic glass seal and extra sticky bud to pad out the spongy strip that had rust flakes on, the glass and whole mirror is solid.

A just about zero cost repair making the mirror just about as good as new rather than having to buy a new door mirror at about £23.

Guy you were right, I found the previous thread, I did offer you my spare metal wedge but you thought I should keep it in case of Sod's Law and you must have bought two, from somewhere other than eBay, and have now risked Sod's Law yourself.
Nigel Atkins

Quite right Nigel. You did offer me one and when I checked I had a spare so assumed you had in fact sent two.

I forgot the intermediate step of buying two new ones myself - which would also explain why I had one left over to send to Rob. I gather it is now doing an effective job on his mirror fixture.
GuyW

Like you I didn't remember I had to look the thread up. You tried making one out of some IIRC plastic and then hardwood but ended up buying from somewhere because you put you didn't go to ebay like I did.

I'm surprised Rob didn't make one for himself but perhaps he'll modify the one you kindly sent him and perhaps drill a few holes to lighten it for track use. :)
Nigel Atkins

doing a great job thanks Guy. Have nudged the mirror with my rear by accident and it hasn't fallen off like it normally does, so I call that a win.

I've copied it for the other side. It's a bit heavier than standard, but I think I'll be OK. I'll just drive without socks on or something to keep the weight the same
Rob Armstrong

Got small feet Rob?
GuyW

thin socks
Rob Armstrong

Obviously not sweaty
GuyW

dry as a bone! That's because the rubber bung that the steering column runs through is sulking down at the bottom of the column resting on the rack like a pair of old saggy tights, so there's quite a draught to keep my feet well ventilated. Having recalled that, perhaps removing socks is a bad idea.
Rob Armstrong

This thread was discussed between 13/01/2017 and 02/02/2017

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