So ya'll want irony?
I replaced my oil fill cap gasket, and air cleaner mounts* today, as well as the emergency blinker switch (I have emergency lights now ) and attempted to replace a burnt out dash cluster lamp.
I came out cleaner from the engine work than the dash work! The PO had a failure of the oil pressure gauge, and apparently the shop did not clean the back of the instrument cluster all that well . On the bright side, all the rubber in there still feels nice and new thanks to the protective coat of engine oil...

Sooo...
I was able to pop the instrument cluster out, but unable to get even remotely enough slack to disconnect it and get to the bulbs (or the dead clock, or odometer, or failing ignition...)

The question: any hints on how to get the speedo cable and anything else to give up enough slack to get in there?

Thanks,
-nB

* note to anyone with broken air cleaner mounts: Replace them else you'll bang a hole in the side of the filter housing against your valve cover (ask me how I know that).
-nB

__________________
'83 300D Turbo
Current: ???K mi - 19.2mpg -> 17.4mpg -> 22.9mpg ---> ODO Died
bought at: 233.8K mi - 10MPG For $1.00
3.5 cylinders work: 320 320 100 340 280
Got insurance? FarmersReallySucks.Com

Under the hood, you should see the cable in a bracket bolted to the firewall. Loosen that and you should get enough slack. I have small hands which helps immensely. I take off the 15 pin connector first, and it seems to help.

Yep, I have to manually poke the speedo cable farther through the firewall to give slack to pull cluster out more. See if it is tie-wrapped down towards the bottom side of engine/tranny area. Might not have enough slack if somebody tie-wrapped it taut......

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John