Done it both ways
 

On my 123 I started out by pulling the lower panel and pushing the cluster out but after that found it much quicker to pull it from the front. A putty knife is helpful to get under the bottom edge a pry/pull a bit while pulling at the top with a coat hanger hook. Changed my dash light bulbs at night in an auto parts store parking lot in about three minutes with this technique vs. laying on the ground with the door open pulling the lower panel.

I tried to push the cluster out on a 85 300D I had and I could not get my hand in deep enough to do it. Home made wire hanger hooks work easiest.

Cleaning the odometer
 

While we are on the subject of pulling the dash, (I hope this is not changing the topic too much) I am tempted to clean the numbers on my odometer because some of them are quite sooty and hard read. Is this advisable or will I be doing some irreversible damage. I was thinking of maybe some alcohol on a Q-Tip.

I used to pull them out with hangers all the time, but it always seemed a little precarious. I was always afraid I would crack something or break the circuit boards. So I started pushing them out from behind. It's much less chance of breaking something.

well it doesn't look like this poll is gonna help your decision making...

The hanger method is winning by as much as the presidents win the elections...he he:D

As far as the speedo cable and oil line goes. I usually push or pull the cluster out first then start disconnecting things. The speedo cable just has a threaded collar on it, usually can be unscrewed by hand. The oil line is a 10mm nut, so you will need a 10mm end wrench to get it off.

Actually, the push out method would be winning with 48% if we used the presidential vote counting process.

Now Now Now... I just really messed things up by making it 19 to 19! anybody got some leftover dangling chads?

I find it easiet to just pull the kick panel and give the cluster a shove from behind. Of course on the 81 the kickpanel is very easy to remove the later ones have a steel tube running inside the area if I remember correctly. it might be easier on those to use the snatch hooks...

Come to think about it I should get a set of those just in case...

hmmm snatch hooks, now what does that remind me of...

front or rear
 

can I remove this stuff from the top after it pushes forward, or do you have to get it from below?

You have to remove the cable, oil line, and wires from the top (tight squeeze). From the bottom you can just barely get your hand in place to push it out. You only have a couple of inches to work with once it's pushed out, but that's the only way to do it.

Depends on what you need to get to, removing the speedo cable gives you more access. Be careful when removing the oil line, you'll want to use two wrenches, one to hold the nut fastened to the cluster, the other to loosen the line itself.
Oh, and push from behind, on a 123, just reach up from below.
A 126, you'll have to remove a kick panel.

Don't feel bad, us W126 guys always get more. Having a back seat you can dance a waltz in has its advantages.:D:nice:

I find removing the front left speaker quicker than the kick panel. Then just reach in and push. I just leave my speaker unattached for this very reason. On the 240, I have no kick panel, thanks to the PO, so sometimes I mess with the bulbs and whatnot while driving just for fun.

i just took out the instrument cluster to day for the first time and pushing it out through the back hella easier than trying to push a coat hanger i would think. took like 2 minutes not even.