I took mine out about a month ago Nick and it was pretty easy,,, a bit fiddly but easy all the same.
I found it easier to remove the air vent & the ash tray (including the ash tray slide frame) then place your tongue to one side and wince a little as you feel your way behind the dash facia to find the butterfly nuts. Remember to disconnect the speedo cable & assorted wiring loom.
On the early series instruments you can also carefully remove the individual clusters and then pry the gauge surround off with a flat blade and separate the rubber and glass face) careful not to drop the glass as I almost did
If you're a bit of a tinkerer, it's pretty easy to fully dismantle the whole gauge on your bench at home with basic tools. I re-painted my dash facia, all the needles, plus text on the actual face of the instruments.
I'd advise using a rubber trim reconditioner as you start to dismantle if you're planning on pulling things down that far, as I found out the hard way that the rubbers in around the gauge glass etc were a little perished.
I'll put a photo up of the end result in a day or so
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With a gas axe & slide hammer anything will fit