MP2852...getting rid of the internal sorter, help!

[Foo]

Against my better judgement I purchased a MP2852 with 54K copies on it from my local wholesaler with an internal finisher.
I have done lots of business with him, buying all my Ricoh boxes from him and will continue to, this isn't his fault.

My issue is that I had this bad feeling about the internal finisher.
I'm just not a fan of "ANY" internal finisher on the market. Period.

Well I delivered this unit to my accountant, a super nice lady I've had as a customer for years.
It started to get jams sporadically with the customer able to remove and continue the copy/print job.
She said she wanted the finisher off the machine...just like her old machine.

1 week ago they started having some more jamming issues always having to slide out the internal finisher and remove the paper located at the entrance to the finisher. Paper jam location says it's jamming at 060. 060 is the location and the manual is talking about it being in the finisher.
060 has the most jams by far with 106 at that location alone. The next highest jam count is 7. So now they really want this finisher gone.

I need help figuring out how to remove it and then, are there panels that need to be replaced to make the machine look correct with the finisher gone.
I tried to figure out how to remove it last visit and can't seem to get it out...not even far enough to access the paper path sensors on top.
If I can't fix it quickly and make it reliable, the finisher has to go.
I have never worked on this model before, lots of experience on the previous versions of this size...MP 2850, MP 2550...etc.

Any help would be appreciated, I hate these good customers are having issues over this silly finisher.
They want it gone and I do too!

Ideas? Spare panels for sale to fix the machine after the removal of the finisher?
Any help would be appreciated a lot.

I'm headed back to this customer on Tuesday (tomorrow) around noon.

Thanks!

Jeff in STL

[slimslob]

Reverse the service manual steps for installing the internal finisher. There are three items that you may have to order: the output tray, the connector cover and the inner rear cover. You can leave the inner bottom plate in place until you can get an output tray.

[Oze]

The stopper underneath the finisher itself is why you can't get it out.
Once the finisher's out remove the rails from the copier.
As for covers I'm in the wrong country...sorry.