well folks,i was looking under my dash to see if i could pull my dash out OR if i had that D%@# nut behind the dash,well its back there.i can't seem to get my hamhock hand back in there to get it loose cananyone please tell me the trick.


thanks in advance

Unfortunately, the trick is to be built like Ric Ocasek.

Um... why are you trying to pull the dash? I hear it's the job of last resort...

Catrinus
73 280C

i nned to fix the clock ,replace some lights.everything else is ok,and yeah it can wait for some other time.i was just working on it in the garage last night.this old car i have is in great shape,it was in storage for 14 + years and i traded for it!!32k orig miles
you are not going to believe what i traded it for.
i know i'm getting long winded here but here goes, this guy that had the car said it belonged to his dad,and since his dad past away it has been inside stored,he had it towed to a local mb shop and had all the hoses and belts replaced changed all the fluids and drove it back home.i saw it parked on the side if his house .went to talk with him ,well i traded two flyfishing rods and reels for the car(and one lesson on how to use them).

Time will tell who got the better deal.

Hopefully you are trying to get the instrument cluster out, not the whole dash?

__________________
Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA
'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe

yeah just the cluster,and i think we both got a good deal.this guy has been fishing almost every weekend since(wish i could go too.)and the car is in great shape,i drive it everyday everything works,a/c,power windows,heater,runs great,tranny is ok.it just needs tlc.i just can't see away to get to that big plastic nut brhind the cluster,maybe my grandkids can get up in there with smaller hands.

Geezer:

Here's the drill:

Take the parking brake braket loose. Once it's off to the side, you may also want to unplug the cross cable there for more room.

If you put the seat all the way back and lie on the floor looking up, you can just see the white plastic knob.

Squeeze your hand up on the door side of the steering column past the dangling parking brake bracket and you will be able to get a couple fingers on the knob. Expect to loose some skin.... Once you get it loose, it will spin off easily. Try not to drop it forward, it can get hung up in the dash and will be a BIG pain to get out. CAREFULLY drag your hand out -- you will have to drop the knob or hold it between two fingers, if you close your fist it won't fit back out.

Dash cluster will then be free. Watch the oil and temp gauge tubes, they are fragile, and you will need to remove the temp gauge to get the rest of the cluster out. Clock can be removed from the back, two nuts.

Going back in is the reverse, except you will drop the stupid white knob a couple times -- best way to start it is to hold it on the stem with one finger and rotate it with another. Hope you don't have arthritic hands! You probably won't be able to reach high enough to get a thumb up there to help.

Don't leave the knob off, the cluster will fall out of the dash if you hit a large bump. Don't know why it does on the W108 and not on the W114/115 (no knob on those, it just sits in the dash on the seal!), but it does.

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

hey thanks alot,owe ya a beer!!!!

and thanks for getting geezer right,i miss spelled it when i signed on.

Just don't get your hand stuck in there, it's embarrasing.....!

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Well, Peter, my cluster does NOT have the nut on it, and it hasn't fallen out or shifted yet! Not to mention that leaving it off makes it easier to adjust that damn clock...

__________________
Current:
2021 Charger Scat Pack Widebody "Sinabee"
2018 Durango R/T

Previous:
1972 280SE 4.5
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited "Hefe", 1992 Jeep Cherokee Laredo "Jeepy", 2006 Charger R/T "Hemi"
1999 Chrysler 300M - RIP @ 221k

Tom:

My friend Hans said to put it back on as his experience is that the cluster eventually falls out. Since he's been working on MBs since 1959, I'll personally trust his experience!

I suspect a good condition rubber seal will help -- mine is old and cracked, and the cluster wouldn't stay up properly sitting in the drive without the knob on...

Peter

__________________
1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

Mine's a nice, tight fit. Ans as for the nut, well... I have no idea where it went to - I never took it off myself, I just slid the cluster out!

__________________
Current:
2021 Charger Scat Pack Widebody "Sinabee"
2018 Durango R/T

Previous:
1972 280SE 4.5
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited "Hefe", 1992 Jeep Cherokee Laredo "Jeepy", 2006 Charger R/T "Hemi"
1999 Chrysler 300M - RIP @ 221k