Ironhead Long vs short stem mirrors for 1980 fitment

[blk80bike]

I just ordered a replacement set of oem type mirrors made by Superior Dixie for my 1980 sportster.

The mirrors that I had were HD branded mirrors but clearly not correct for my year. They are not high enough, don't have the same adjustable sliding stem and I was never satisfied with the amount of adjustment I could get out of them.

While the clutch side mirror stem was adequate and I could secure an acorn nut, the front brake side is thicker as the mirror stem runs through the body of the brake reservoir. Due to the way the underside is cut, it bearly had enough room to tighten up the acorn nut. I couldn't get a wrench or socket onto it enough to take it off because there's not enough room.. like it's missing a spacer. I had to clamp a needle nose vicegrip on it just to remove the acorn nut because you can't use a wrench or socket.

This brings me to the Dixie Superior mirrors that are supposed to be oem for 80. The parts manual shows that 91875-70b is chrome and fits 79 to * and 91878-77 is black and fits 79-81. So assuming that my XLH is supposed to have the chrome mirrors, I ordered Dixie part #655 that is shown to match 91875-70... no "b" on the end.

Anyway...the threaded stems are even shorter. The clutch side is so short that the threaded stem doesn't even stick out of the aluminum brake master cylinder body.
I'm certain the brake master was originally painted black because whoever tried to strip the paint did a lousy job so the assembly should be a #45024-72 (late 79-81)

Is there some significant difference in the thickness of the black painted master cylinder body vs a chrome one? It really doesn't make any sense as to why the mirrors listed in the parts book don't have a threaded stem long enough to go through the brake cylinder and then allow a nut to go on. I see that there is a spacer part #47311-77 but it only comes in black. It makes me think that the black mirrors might have longer threaded stems. Has anyone else dealt with this issue?

It would make sense as to why a black spacer is listed in the manual but the question is are the black mirrors not interchangeable with the chrome factory mirrors? Was i just sent 2 clutch side mirrors that are the same?

[blk80bike]

I'm starting to wonder if I was just sent 2 clutch side mirrors and one of them is supposed to have a longer threaded stem?

[blk80bike]

Just a follow up for anyone dealing with this issue in the future. I asked if the seller if he could open another box of their existing Dixie Superior mirrors #655. Despite probably not fully understanding the difference between the two mirrors the seller has informed me that they are identical. So that means that the Dixie mirrors #655 that are supposed to fit the 80 don't as both threaded rod stems are only long enough for the clutch side only.

The other odd thing my research is finding is the boxes marked #655b which from what I'm finding are supposed to be black in color but they are not. They are chrome just like the ones without the "b" designation and so far don't appear any different than the boxes marked just 655 so I suppose the B just indicates a revision not a different finish as Dixie Superior advertises.
Unfortunately nobody so far has known anything about what they are selling. I'm assuming these are not owners... just office staff who don't knowthe difference between a washer and nut... so I can't get any answers from anyone that knows what they are talking about.