87 560 SL 107 cluster removal detail

[ukrmh88]

One of the chrome trim buttons on the left side of the instrument cluster on my 87 560 SL had become dislodged because 22 years of glue had failed, and was bouncing around at the vacuum gauge. I had to remove and disassemble the cluster to re-glue it. Here is a step-by-step process to do that. This worked well for me. I have seen several threads on this site about removing the cluster, but most left me a little confused. Here it is from start to successful finish.

The link to my original thread about this subject on this site is Weird problem with instrument cluster 87 560 I posted this last September, so you can see what I faced.

1. First, unhook the battery. Most say for one-half hour, but I unhooked it overnight so as not to cause the airbag to discharge during the process. Others stated to also remove the 10 pin airbag connector at the passenger footwell, but I could not find it. I removed the fuse cover and looked, but only saw fuses. I could not figure out how to remove the fiber panel that the fuse cover is attached to without stressing it, so I just took it on faith that overnight removal of negative strap to battery would do the trick, and it did.
2. Next, remove the airbag assembly. On the backside of the steering wheel, there are 2 torx screws (#27, I believe, but my torx wrenches were not marked) that need to be unscrewed. You need a rather long torx wrench to get to it, but the screws are easy to remove. Once done, you can drop the airbag assembly down and unplug the red 2-pin connector by pulling it straight out. As a precaution, I wore a full-face helmet and padded vest just in case the bag inflated.
3. Remove the steering wheel. It is held in place with a 10 mm allen screw, so you need a 10mm allen wrench to do this. It is on pretty tight, and you don’t want to put any undue pressure on the ignition switch lock, so use a 2x4 piece of wood, about 18 inches long to wedge between the floor and the wheel to hold the wheel in place while torqueing on the allen screw. I did not need to use an impact wrench; with a little pressure, the screw broke loose and came out. Next, mark the wheel to align with the splines by using a magic marker (a Sharpie in my case), so that when you reinstall the wheel, it will be properly aligned. The wheel pulls off easily, so just set it aside.
4. There is a circular black plastic piece that you will see held in place with 3 phillips screws- remove the screws and the piece and set it aside.
5. Remove the cluster. You will need a heavy duty coat hanger, bent a little bit at the end (about ¼”) to insert just to the right of the right turn signal and to the left of the left turn signal. Push it in about 2 inches and down a little, and rotate it to grab the back side of the cluster. Pull forward on the cluster, and it should come out. One picture shows the “path” of the coat hanger to get to the proper spot to grab the reverse of the cluster. Pull from one side and then the other to get to the back of it. Once the back is accessible, wire removal is next. Instrument warning light wires on the left side of the cluster are self-contained, so there is nothing to remove for those instruments. On the right side, you need to pull out bulbs # 2-5 and let the wires just hang there. Bulb # 1 is self-contained and can be removed on the work bench once the assembly is completely out. These wires (2-5) are all numbered, and the back side of the cluster is also numbered, so you cannot make a mistake reinserting the wires, unless the numbers somehow have fallen off the wires. In that case, just use masking tape and mark the appropriate numbers on the wires. The rest of the harnesses are pretty easy to remove, and cannot be confused when you put it back together. They all just pull straight out. The one in the center of the speedometer does pull straight out, but a little force may be necessary to do so because there is a little tab underneath. Lastly, remove the rubber vacuum line leading into the gauge. It just pulls straight off, but was a little tough to remove. Once the cluster is removed, I took it inside and laid it on a white towel for further disassembly.
6. Getting to the inside of the cluster. The center of the cluster must be removed to get access to each side containing the instruments and gauges, and it is easy. Use a small Phillips screwdriver to remove the 2 screws on the lower center cluster, pull it out and set it aside. Next, remove 4 6mm screws that hold in the speedo (3 are short and one is long). The long one goes through the rheostat controlling the dimmer for the dash lights), remove the speedo and set it aside. Then, remove the offending left cluster that contains the vacuum, oil pressure, temp, and fuel gauges by removing 4 6mm screws. Once the screws are removed, this set of gauges just lifts out. Once out, you can see the chrome dislodged trim piece inside. I used tweezers to remove it.
7. Regluing the offending trim. I used Gorilla glue, and it worked well. Remember, GG works great, but needs to set up for 8 hours. And, it does expand, so put pressure on the trim piece for 8 hours. See my home made clamp!
Once the glue is dry, start the process of reassembly. It is also a good time to replace necessary bulbs or repaint the needles, or do whatever needs to be done inside the cluster.
Reassembly is essentially the reverse of the above. I used emery paper to clean up all electrical contacts where possible, including all bulb and socket connections. I also cleaned up the circular contacts on the backside of the steering wheel that accommodates the horn and airbag. I put a little Vaseline on the rubber vacuum line for easier reconnection. I also used blue thread lock on the 10mm allen screw that holds the steering wheel in place. I put the helmet and vest back on when reconnecting the airbag!
8. I took a lot of pictures, and will attempt to attach them to this post. Any questions, just reply to the thread and I am happy to share what information I can. I am not a mechanic, nor inclined so, but did find this to be a rewarding experience once complete. The trim piece looks great, and everything works well. I am hopeful that I can get another 137K out of the car. We just love it!
Bob
ps I took 25 pictures, but could only attach 5, so I tried to pick the best.