Yea all the plastic bit that surrounds the clocks, stereo, heater controls and switches needs to come out. Its a hell of a lot easier to do this if u take the steering wheel off too!
I would start by taking the steering wheel off, the removing the stereo all the switches and the heater controlls. with the heater control take out the sliders and the fan speed controller first the u should be albe to prise the rest off. the fan speed controller may or may not fall off if it doesnt just unclip it. then u need to start unscrewing the panel. there are two screws above the dials and a thurther two behind the switches either side of the dials along the bottom. then i think there is three more behind the heaters and one or maybe two behind the stereo. anyway they all need to come out. the whole panel should then come off. leaving you with loads of wires and ur dials!
the dials are a bt fiddley to connect / disconnect i find. if u want to take them right out then lean then forwards (they should pivot from the bottom i think??) then disconnect the speedo cable (will either have a connector or may just fall out) and the hose that does the MPG on the mfa. then there is just the two or one (depending on the cars age) connector at the bottom to disconnect. becarefull on these mine where well on and when i pulled it off most of the PCB came off too!
nope this helps??!? if its not all right im sorry its been a while! and im not that good at describing stuff! but ive done my bestest! if any one whats to correct me please feel free!