Hooded Mirror Question

Is it possible to tighten a hooded side mirror on a '58? There's the screw on the back that I've tightened all the way and it helps a little bit, but the mirror doesn't really stay in place. I've seen others that are almost rigid and you have to use force to adjust them. I didn't know if there was a way to disassemble/rebuild the mirror versus spending almost $150 on a new one. The one I have is in good condition, it just gets out of alignment any and every time I have to mess with the car cover or barely touch it.

Thanks in advance,

Kent Z.

The screw on the back only holds the head to the bracket, it doesn't tighten the ball joint that lets you adjust it. Some mirrors have two or three screws around the ball joint to tighten the pre load on it, but the full visored one doesn't.
I fixed mine by adjusting it as close as I could, then removing the screw, and sliding the head out. Lay the head, mirror side down on a table, and put a drop or two of Loctite 290 on the joint where the ball is set in the head. Loctite 290 is a wicking type meant to be placed on hardware after assembly. It should fill the cracks and add enough friction to hold it in place. After it hardens, reinstall the head. You may need to readjust the mirror and even do this a couple of times before it's tight enough.

Art

Ah! I never thought to whack on the screw after I backed it out some. That makes sense. I pulled everything apart and I have a feeling that someone already tried to rig something up to keep it in place. There is a washer and rubber bushing in there that definitely don't look original. I assume that an original one has no additional rubber or metal on the inside of the bracket after pulling off the head. I will have to use the Loctite trick to get the ball to grip better because right now it flops around without any sort of resistance.

Thanks for the info. Now I can hopefully make some progress on getting this thing snugged up.

Kent Z.

I don't have any washers or bushings in mine. If yours is really that loose, I don't think the Loctite will work, and I have no other suggestions. The Ford part number is B6A-17696. They have them at C & G Early Ford Parts, but they're $140.00 each. There are others that I believe are correct on a 58, P/N B5A-17692-1 and B5A-17692-2 at $50.00 each but they don't look as nice. Good luck.