Tony --

The only way to access the compensating board is to yank the cluster. It's an easy job, but slightly harder on an older car having the speedo cable ('85 and earlier, I think).

On the earlier cars, you must reach up under the dash and disconnect the cable (a 1/4-turn of the collar). On the later cars ('86 and newer) the speedo is electronic, so you only need unplug one extra connector.

Then you sit in the driver's seat, unscrew the four mounting screws, pull the cluster straight out, tip the right side outwards and unplug various cable, tip the left side out and unplug various cables, and then slide the cluster sideways toward the center of the car.

Make a sketch of where each wire or harness attaches to the cluster—unfortunately it's easy to reattach one or two connectors incorrectly, and this will damage the instruments.

With the cluster sitting on your workbench, remove seven screws around the perimeter of the printed circuit board and lift it straight off the plastic housing. This reveals the innards, with all the gauges attached to the PCB. From here you can remove the compensating board.

From my first picture note that the left two screws also secure a metal plate, which acts as a heat sink for the voltage regulator. Be sure you properly reinstall the 3 legs of the regulator during reassembly.

Don Foster (near Cape Cod, MA)