After giving my Gameboy Advance SPs a makeover, I couldn't help but feel that swapping the shell on my DS-Lite was the logical next step. I'm a sucker for translucent tech, so if I was going to perform a re-shell, it could only be into a translucent purple case.
The Journey
Unfortunately, during disassembly, I stripped out a corner screw and had to resort to ... less than ideal means in order to remove it. All the traditional methods failed me (rubber band, etc.) so destroying the screw was the only option. Enter Dremel.
A few minutes of slow and steady drilling later, the back case was finally free and I was able to begin the process. The board luckily sustained no damage, and since I was swapping the case anyway, I wasn't too worried about any damage there.
The first steps in disassembly meant removing the attached WiFi daughterboard (yellow) and its associated cable (red). Gently using a flat-ended spudger, the cable can be disconnected by prying upwards. The daughterboard is similarly removed by wedging the spudger on either side and gently prying upwards. This prevents damage to the board.
Next, the newly detached cable should be routed beneath the SD card slot so the DC can be safely unhinged. This can be tricky since the connecter on the end will likely snag on various pins on the board, so going slow and not tugging too hard is key. The white microphone cable can also be detached similarly (not shown). With the cable newly freed, the small ribbon cable attaching the touch screen to the board can be freed. The release is a level mechanism, so flipping the gray lever up will release the ribbon.
Next, the buttons and silicone membranes should be removed. The L&R buttons have attached springs on a dowel, so take care not to lose these! After removing all the buttons, the front of the case can be safely removed, exposing the lower touch screen.
Next, the upper screen ribbon cable can be removed from its seat (red). It uses a similar lever mechanism as the touch screen cable, so gently lifting the gray lever will release the cable. Now the DS can be safely separated into two pieces. With disassembly complete on the lower portion of the DS, it's time to disassemble the top portion.
The hinge is removed by unscrewing two phillips-head screws near the LED indicator. The shell of the LED indicator is then removed and the hinge mechanism can be freed. The hinge comes in two parts. A bearing piece that rotates the device, and a smaller supporting piece. Both of these should be stored to operate the hinge in the new case.
Now the top portion of the case can be removed. On the inner face of the device are four screws which should be removed. Then, pressing the case in and towards the hinge will separate the two sides of the shell, freeing the board for removal.
The top of the machine houses the speakers and the microphone, which can be removed from their slots without much effort or issue. The device is now completely unhoused and
They can be easily slotted into the new case. Cables should be routed through the hinge in a similar fashion to the original assembly.
Routing the ribbon cable is accomplished by utilizing the small, thin slot at the bottom of the hinge. Carefully roll and pull the connector through the slot, taking extreme care not to kink or tear the fragile ribbon.
Re-attaching the ribbon cable to the bottom part of the machine comes next. These cables are sensitive, and improper seating can result in a variety of Power on Self Test (POST) issues. I ran into one during my initial assembly and had to disassemble the DS and carefully reseat all my cables in order to correct this.
NOTE: POST issues normally will look like the DS attempting to power on, one or both screens flickering once (or not at all) and then powering off.
Once the cable has been reseated, set aside and place any new buttons and membranes into the DS (I opted for white, while keeping the black shoulder buttons from my original case). The spring mechanism on the shoulder buttons is very touchy, so take care when seating those in the case. Carefully place the bottom of the DS in the new shell, securing the hinge and taking care not to disturb the shoulder button placement. A dry test of all connections is recommended at this stage, so slot the battery onto the board and power on the DS. If there are no POST issues, you should be good to secure the rest of the machine together.
Replace any screws that where removed and seat the battery into the machine and you are done!
This was a more advanced shell swap than the Advance SP, but the difficulty was not substantially higher. I would highly recommend this project to any hardware enthusiast who wants to give their consoles a fresh new look!
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