Removing 355 rearview mirror from windshield | FerrariChat
Buy

Removing 355 rearview mirror from windshield

Discussion in '348/355' started by marvinsheldon, Aug 12, 2010.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. marvinsheldon

    marvinsheldon Rookie

    Aug 12, 2010
    18
    Pennsylvania
    Full Name:
    Sean hegarty
    #1 marvinsheldon, Aug 12, 2010
    I have a crack on the inside of the windshield that runs behind the rear view mirror. I want to make the repair but I am not sure how to safely remove the mirror and the mirror mount from the windshield. Has anyone ever had to do this and do you have any recommendations? I want to fix this as quickly as possible before the crack spreads. I have the resin and tools but before I start I want to get the mirror out of the way so the crack can be completely filled.


    Thanks for your advice guys
    SeanH
     
  2. BOKE

    BOKE Beaks' Gun Rabbi
    Rossa Subscribed

    Jul 13, 2009
    33,965
    600 East Fremont Street
    Full Name:
    Lucky
    #2 BOKE, Aug 12, 2010
    Call your Ferrari dealer that you have a relationship with and have them put you in touch with their glass guy. When I got my 456M the clown I bought it from had a "Home Again" mirror installed and tossed the original. I just had Rich at Penske-Wynn Ferrari-Maserati here in Las Vegas get that corrected for me. His glass guy made me understand the risk of removing the mounting flange BEFORE he did the work.
     
  3. jm3

    jm3 F1 Rookie

    Oct 3, 2002
    4,364
    United States
    Full Name:
    JM3
    #3 jm3, Aug 12, 2010
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2010
    I don't think this is a DIY job. But, if you want to remove the mirror, you rotate it. Removing the mount itself is very treacherous, and if there is ALREADY a crack, probably not worth it.
     
  4. Keith Imbriglio

    Keith Imbriglio Karting

    Jun 16, 2008
    175
    Western MA USA
    Full Name:
    Keith Imbriglio
    #4 Keith Imbriglio, Aug 12, 2010
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2010
    You will need a heat gun and a thin putty knife. Twist the mirror to remove it from the button. Then to remove the button heat the windshield with the heatgun on high at the rearview mirror button. You need to get it hot. Use the putty knife to SCRAPE the button off (as if you wanted to scrape paint from a window with a razor). DO NOT PRY you WILL destroy the windshield. If done properly it will come right off. If it does not come off easy, STOP and try a little more heat.
     
  5. marvinsheldon

    marvinsheldon Rookie

    Aug 12, 2010
    18
    Pennsylvania
    Full Name:
    Sean hegarty
    #5 marvinsheldon, Aug 12, 2010
    Hey XENU
    This will be my next step. I went to an exotic car service center named Karosserie in King of Prussia Pa. and their glass guy said there was nothing he could do to repair it. So I thought that doing something was better than just letting it go. I will call Algar ferrari and see if they can refer me to a glass guy before I attempt the repair myself.

    Thanks for your reply
     
  6. marvinsheldon

    marvinsheldon Rookie

    Aug 12, 2010
    18
    Pennsylvania
    Full Name:
    Sean hegarty
    #6 marvinsheldon, Aug 12, 2010
    Thanks for your message JM. I don't really want to go this route but if the dealer's glass guy says he won't do the job or it can't be done , I'll have to give it a try.
     
  7. marvinsheldon

    marvinsheldon Rookie

    Aug 12, 2010
    18
    Pennsylvania
    Full Name:
    Sean hegarty
    #7 marvinsheldon, Aug 12, 2010

    Kieth, it sounds like you may be familiar with this problem. Have you had a similar experience or had to do a repair like this before?
     
  8. Keith Imbriglio

    Keith Imbriglio Karting

    Jun 16, 2008
    175
    Western MA USA
    Full Name:
    Keith Imbriglio
    #8 Keith Imbriglio, Aug 12, 2010
    I have never repaired a windshield. I have removed the button from 15 or 20 windshields using the method I described.
     
  9. BOKE

    BOKE Beaks' Gun Rabbi
    Rossa Subscribed

    Jul 13, 2009
    33,965
    600 East Fremont Street
    Full Name:
    Lucky
    #9 BOKE, Aug 12, 2010
    I have removed the mounts pretty much as you described on other cars, but I used a giant soldering iron instead of a heat gun to localize the heat. De-laminating the glass is a risk with all but the smallest heat guns. The guy that did mine used a small torch. With the cost of a 456M windshield being what it is, I didn't want to try on this one.
     
  10. Keith Imbriglio

    Keith Imbriglio Karting

    Jun 16, 2008
    175
    Western MA USA
    Full Name:
    Keith Imbriglio
    #10 Keith Imbriglio, Aug 12, 2010
    You are 100% correct, de-lamination is your biggest concern with any heat source. That is why you NEVER pry, always use a smooth steady scraping motion.
     

Share This Page