PS Mirror Cover removal help

[edco]

Yep- I searched. And I found a couple of posts including a video of someone removing (an apparently broken clips) outside mirror cover by popping clips with his fingers. My mirror got smacked in a parking lot but I was able to find one on EBay for a good price, but with a different cover. I was able to find my old cover and it's in surprisingly good shape and can be reused.

I have been trying for a couple of hours to separate the front black ring from the rear cover with no success.

Can someone give me a tip or technique so I can avoid breaking the clips on either the ring or the cover ?

Many thanks

Ed in NJ