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83 R100 RT mirrors needs a fix!

wvpc

Member
I am in the process of trying to debug my RT of anything that bothers me. One thing that really bothers me is that the rearview mirrors rattle in their housings. Especially at idle and low RPM's.

P1010930b.JPG

Has anyone come up with a clean easy fix for this? I was thinking of trying to insert a shim around the mirror that would tighten it in the housing but am at a loss as to what material to use.
 
I am in the process of trying to debug my RT of anything that bothers me. One thing that really bothers me is that the rearview mirrors rattle in their housings. Especially at idle and low RPM's.

View attachment 42412

Has anyone come up with a clean easy fix for this? I was thinking of trying to insert a shim around the mirror that would tighten it in the housing but am at a loss as to what material to use.

Can you estimate the gap between the mirror body and the FACE of the mirror glass? I am not talking between the edge of the mirror glass, but its face.

Without seeing it in person, I am thinking of trying to shoot some liquid in there that would later harden that will not leave any visible residue on the mirror or plastic, or will allow cleaning up later that would not leave any visible sign.

Depending on the gap, I am wondering about black silicon gasket sealer - but only if it could be "forced" down into that gap. It is pretty easy, once it has cured, to take a razor blade and clean it off - it will peel off both the mirror and the plastic body leaving the remainder in the gap.

Or, if there is some noticeable gap where a very small gage wire or shim stock (like using feeler gage material) could be forced in there around as much of the edge as possible.

Just a few thoughts.
 
The right mirrow on my 91 RT had a rattle in it also. I used some super glue to cure it. no more rattle...

I had thought of that, but I didn't know how superglue would 1) affect plastic/paint and 2) how it would stand up to rain and moisture. But,if it works - great!
 
The width of the gap between the face of the mirror and the housing is about the thickness of an injector type razor blade. The mirror rattles in all three directions. Up & down/left & right/back & forth. Yes, if the superglue doesn't destroy the housing or mirror face that sounds like a viable answer. Past methods that other riders have used is what I am searching for since I don't want to mess it up. Thanks to all.
 
A fine bead of clear silicone carefully put in around the edges? Maybe try a couple of dots of it and see if it improves. If so, go for more, a little at a time. :dunno
 
mirrors

A fine bead of clear silicone carefully put in around the edges? Maybe try a couple of dots of it and see if it improves. If so, go for more, a little at a time. :dunno

I agree with Kurt, also Christmas is coming and a new set of the later 1985 on larger type would be a nice bonus,I put them on my RS fairing, some time ago and gave a better view past my arms, hope this assists Jimmy
 
A fine bead of clear silicone carefully put in around the edges? Maybe try a couple of dots of it and see if it improves. If so, go for more, a little at a time. :dunno

I would go with black since it matches the outer shell. I have often in other applications used my finger with the silicon sealer and "forced" it into the crevis/crack. When fresh, it will squeeze in there. Then, while still "wet" take a paper towel and wipe off as much excess as you can. Finally, wait until the silicon dries, then the excess exposed stuff will peel off, leaving the stuff in the groove.

Worth a try.
 
The larger mirrors from the '85-on bikes bolt right on and give better view and a more modern look to the bike. It's been a while since I checked, but they're likely still < $50 ea new.
 
Danka!

Thanks to all on the tips and suggestions. I think I will try the black silicone sealant $5 fix first. I don't want to spend anymore than I have to on this fix.
 
I have an 85 R80RT and I?m still using the original style mirrors. These are good mirrors, but they do sometimes suffer from the glass getting loose between the bezel around the front and the mirror housing. Sometimes I?ve found that the bezel was coming loose and a drop of the thin, runny super glue in the seam between the bezel and the housing plus a couple of strong rubber bands as clamps will fix that problem.

In other cases, the bezel seems to be firmly attached, but play has developed between the glass and the plastic parts (due to vibration, I suppose). The first time this happened, I used a Goop-like product that was loaded in a caulking gun and I pushed it into the housing behind the mirror using the drain hole next to the stem mount. The housing is made of ABS and the glue had some sort of solvent, so the housing took on a sort-of Salvador Dali look, but the rattle stopped and it held together just fine until I found out just how slippery a diesel spill can be.

The next time I had a rattle, I used the caulking gun again, but with silicone sealer. You have to put in a fair amount of sealer, and if that hole by the stem is meant as a drain, well ? its draining days are over. At any rate, a blob of silicone between the housing and the back of the mirror kills the rattle quite effectively without melting the ABS.
 
They are not real expensive (3 years ago), so depending on your attention to little details, you may just want to get new ones. Otherwise, I'd use some thin foam and cram it in there and trim it so it is invisible. You may be able to get a little enough in the plastic/mirror crack that you cannot even see it. At least if it does not work it is reversible/removable.
 
If you go with the black/clear silicone caulk, a trick: to make a clean edge, use a wood coffee stir-stick. Dampen it with spit or alcohol, and run it over the caulk, along the seam. It'll give a well-defined edge, and you can periodically lift it off to remove excess, leaving a well-defined, even seal. (We'd do this at work to make neat-looking jobs.)
 
If you go with the black/clear silicone caulk, a trick: to make a clean edge, use a wood coffee stir-stick. Dampen it with spit or alcohol, and run it over the caulk, along the seam. It'll give a well-defined edge, and you can periodically lift it off to remove excess, leaving a well-defined, even seal. (We'd do this at work to make neat-looking jobs.)

Great advice!
 
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