As for removal of the binnacle, it's not too hard. I make it a lot easier to access the small nuts in question by removing the 2 knee pads and the air pipe if I remember correctly. It was much easier to use a nut driver to remove the nuts, rather than try to get a spanner up there. I remove just 4 nuts (the back 4?) then unscrew 2 screws that go horisontally into base of binnacle. A long handled screwdriver goes through some nice handy holes in the steering column support to reach these screws.
Rich