AFAIK removal of the diodes does not affect any other part of the projector. The 445nm diodes are confined to a rather neat lump of aluminium that comes out in one piece, thus disturbing nothing else.
I think you can still have it running with just a few diodes left in the block and some sort of ballast.
Quote: "There is a theory which states that if ever, for any reason, anyone discovers what exactly the Universe is for and why it is here it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another that states that this has already happened.”... Douglas Adams 1952 - 2001