How to remove the mirror from a Nikon FTN?

[Terence]

My wife recently inherited a Nikkormat FTN when her dad passed away. Unfortunately during shipping, the mirror cracked. I bought an $8 FTN "as-is" from KEH, but it showed up working perfectly, so it seems a shame to cannibalize the mirror, so our daughter got a new camera. Luckily, another user here gave me a parted-out FTN with a good mirror.

The problem is, I can't figure out how to remove the mirrors. I started with the broken one, and removed the spring clip from the left (as you face front of the camera), but there is still the tab the spring fits under, and a tab on the other side. I can't figure out how to get even the broken mirror out from under these. The mirror support plate has a rim all the way around it. Between this rim, and the two tabs, the mirror is trapped on the support plate. I can't imagine that I have to disassemble the whole mirror support assembly to get underneath it. Am I missing something? Is there an easy way to slip the mirror out?

The service manual just gives me part numbers, but not a view from the back to see how the tabs are connected, or how to remove the mirror. YouTube has been similarly unhelpful.

If the camera didn't have sentimental meaning to my wife, I would just make it a wall-hanger. But this thing was her dad's constant companion since the 1970s.

Thanks.

 

[Mamiya_Repair]

The mirror on the Nikkormat is held in with the two tabs and also a couple drops of cement on the upper corners. To remove a mirror without damage on the Nikkormat is not trivial. Probably best to just remove the mirror box so that you can transplant the mirror box or just the mirror frame and mirror assembly.

 

[Terence]

On the broken mirror there is no cement. The lower half popped out during shipping, and shows no sign of cement on the back. The upper half is trapped under the tabs on either side, and the ridge around the plate. It is floating freely, and shows no sign of cement either. I pulled the spring from under the left (as you look from the front) tab. The donor camera also only has a spring under the same side, so I assume that's the normal design. I can also move the mirror slightly by pressing the edge of the mirror, so I don't think the mirror is cemented in the donor camera either, though I haven't removed the spring yet to really check it.