it's not too hard to take apart, although I'd would chat the manta of *patience*, *patience*, *patience*
first and foremost,
don't force anything!
if the bottom shell halves won't separate easily, this probably means that you've forgotten to remove one of the
7 screws holding them together.
step by step, here are other things to be aware of:
step 2
be extremely careful removing the rubber pads that cover the screw holes (there are four of these that cover the screws on the top half as well). the glue on them is rather sticky and as such, the pad need a pretty good amount of force to separate them from the casing, so you need to be careful that whatever it is that you're using to lift them out, doesn't slip and marr your ds lite's nice, shiney finish!
step 7
working on a bright, clean surface will help you find any small parts (screws, springs, shoulder button posts, etc...) that may fly off in an unknown direction. I can't tell you how many screws I've accidently dropped on my carpeting and then spent the next 10-15mins combing it with my hands which was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
step 8
I wish I had a macro lense for my camera to show the ribbon cable clips better (which would also show how they work), but the one I want is 600usd. donations anyone? the two larger cables (that pass information to the displays are connected with a flip-type locking clip. releasing the lock is accomplished by lifting the dark portion of the connector up. from the side that the the ribbon cable enters the connector, use your thumbnail to lift the lock up, and then
gently pull
evenly on the ribbon cable to pull it out.
note: in an original ds, the two smaller ribbon cables are secured by sliding plastic locks. using a small, jeweler-sized flat bladed screwdriver, push both sides of the lock (brown) from the connector in the direction that the ribbon connector clips into it from.
in the ds lite, the small ribbon cable (which controls the touch screen functionality) is merely press fit, however as stated in my original write-up, removing it is far more easier than re-inserting it due to its position and the [lack] of excess to work with.
hope this helps.
ps
it took me about 30-45mins to disassemble my first ds lite (to the point that I've documented in the 'sticky'ed thread). however, that was taking my time and doing a lot of looking to see how things were connected and what I needed to do in order to proceed (ie. I wasn't in any real hurry to get it done, so I took my time).
having done a few of them now, I could probably rip one apart completely (including the top shell) in about 15mins.
