1970 Dart Cluster Removal

I just did this last week! All the stuff above is correct, but I'll add a bunch. I'll refer to the speedo gauge unit at "the unit". Disconnect the battery!!! If you have a cheapo steering wheel puller, pulling the wheel lets the column drop down much lower to ease removal of the unit. The unit bottom is lower than the metal dash opening so when it come out you have to roll the unit toward you Down from the top. Given this, unless you want to trash the plastic cover on the unit, the headlight and wiper switch knobs need to get out of the way. The headlight knob is held in place by the switch and you have to reach up under the dash to the switch and press and hold a small silver button on the top of the switch which releases the knob and stem and you can just pull it out. When you are done, one of the last things to do just shove the knob and stem back in and it will click in place. On the wiper side, pull off the chrome knob (it's just pressed on) and then rotate the chrome bezel on the dash counter clockwise and it screws out of the switch, then you can push the stem and switch back into the dash but don't lose the stem so its easy to pull back through. You should be able to reach the two sets of multi pin connectors pushed into the back of the unit from underneath the dash. Pull them straight away from the unit with slow even pressure. There are two big wires with ring fittings that run through the alternator gauge (these are the main reason you disconnected the battery since they are the main power wires to almost everything in your car). Take off the nuts and remember (write down) which side the red wire is on (toward the drivers or passenger side). It is not good to hook them up backwards. Above it was mentioned that the main wiring harness makes it hard to get the unit out, that is partially because there is a metal clip on the back of the unit that attaches to a white plastic clip that is taped into the wiring harness. It is right below or above (can't remember) the speedo cable connection. There is no reason to ever connect this clip again, so break the plastic piece off the metal clip and don't look back. Now if you care about the plastic unit bezel and the paint on the dash, the unit should be loose enough to stick a thin rag under the unit that covers the paint. Now roll the unit out. If the piece that bridges between the dash unit to the heater/radio cover is stuck under the heater cover try to wiggle the dash unit to slide that piece out from under the heater cover by pulling the dash unit toward the drivers door. Don't follow just these directions and miss what is in the previous post.
If you haven't taken stuff apart yet teat the dash lights because it is way easier to replace them when the unit is out! There is a rectangular aluminum box plugged into the back of the unit and a little round condenser. This a the gauge voltage limiter. Yours is 49 years old. I would really suggest that you buy a modern transistorized unit to replace it. Just pull the old one out and push the new one in which also eliminates the round condenser. Year One, Classic Industries, etc. This will protect all of your gauges from a voltage surge frying them. If you have questions or need parts PM me and I'll be glad to help. Good Luck!!!