I have some high-tack packaging tape I used with those rubber plugs and they came right out. Getting the damn thing open even after the screws are out, that's the hard part. You indeed should have no reason to open the screen part unless you're trying to make a custom shell
Right, I had to in order to get the shell off. Swapped a MMask plates, over a lower fw black unit. Easier that. A complete mobo swap considering it was new and had no data on it.