I haven't tried e-bay yet but my local dealer says they don't carry that tool and I can't get anything from Duvalmotors (a reference from the stickys). I could use the coat hanger approach but the tools are inexpensive enough and I have all winter to fix my cluster.
Ebay is fine for these. Duval sold me mine and they were like $30 with the radio keys. They're quite nice, but way expensive.
Last time I checked Harbor Freight had a set of keys and cluster tools for about ten bucks.
Coat hanger is really too thick, you may mar up the dash next to the cluster. If you want to make them, get some piano wire about .030 thick and bend a 1/4" hook (about 160 degrees) into each end of it. You can buy a yard of it for a couple bucks if that, then cut it in half or whatever so you have two tools, that makes it easier. Hardest part is holding it to pull the cluster because it will want to cut into your hands.
You can drop the under dashboard cover with simple hand tools and reach up and push the cluster out from behind with your hand. Takes a few minutes longer then the cluster tool but its still pretty easy.
Coat hanger works good, however you don't even need that! Just remove the panel underneath the dash (the flimsy black one in the area of the accelerator (couple of screws). This will allow you to be able to reach the cluster from underneath and behind the cluster. Just push it out from there.
Wish I had a picture but alas, I used two dollar store nail files, the type with the curved nail cleaning end,,, worked like a charm on the radio etc... in and out in seconds. E320 1999.
These are the tools that I made myself. I, too, found that the steel wire from a dry cleaner's coat hanger I had was more than strong and rigid enough for this purpose. I broke/cut the straight bottom part into two pieces. One end I bent into a tiny hook (really only a 90° angle), the other into a handle to insert one or two fingers for pulling. I bent that end of the wire so that it pointed into the same direction as the small hooks in order to know how the latter are oriented when inserted.
These 'tools' worked perfectly well--inserting them and pulling out the cluster could hardly have been easier.
I've alway used my bare hands to remove it. It's much faster.
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