Quoted By:
I started modding one of my packs into an 89 and it's really weird how Hasbro made some things so mod friendly, and others so much more aggravating than they needed to be. Getting those stupid wires around the Clippard valve off was a much bigger pain in the ass than I was expecting, and I don't get why because all the other wires are easily removed with no damage. It's also weird that they made it so difficult/destructive to swap out the fake Clippard for a proper one. What would have been mod friendly and ideal is if that whole circular area was a separate piece which unscrewed from inside the pack. Then there would be no need for prying off the wires, filling the gaps, and sanding, you could simply get a clean fan made replacement and swap it on.
Pic related is where I'm at after the aggravation of removing the wires and filling the gaps. I also filled the holes on the booster tube (which is removable, and could theoretically be replaced outright with a fan made version). The heat sink next to the Clippard still needs to go, and then I can remove the stickers and repaint the pack. Thankfully Hasbro made the heat sink a removable piece that's simply screwed in, though it will leave a recessed area which needs to be filled. A part could theoretically be made to more easily fill that area for people who aren't too picky and don't mind the seams it would leave.
The Clippard area really stands out as the only thing preventing a nondestructive, reversible 84/89 mod with fan made parts, which is frustrating because all they needed to do was make that circular area a separate piece.
