I hope that isn’t any time soon for you.
I know of this and I think I have removed them once or twice but I don’t recall. I recently just soaked the entire frontend but will definitely remove the funnel parts next time. Another use for the fine point tweezers
I don’t own a FPE and have never used one. I do see the benefits for some but I got used to the native frontend and seldom use a silicone tip. Before my RMA the frontend (and backend, lol) got hot alternately; heater was inconsistent causing heat buildup in the frontend, and when batteries were running low the backend would get hot trying to keep up with the temp which was between 3.5-4.2 on average. Performance degraded over months to the point of ghost pulls, little vapor and light AVB.
What a difference the RMA made! My Hopper continues to work amazingly 3+ since it’s returm and mostly the only vape I’m using (not that I have many). My pre-order Ti is 3.5 years old and working like new again. After not having it for a year it’s like getting a new vape again.
And back to and concluding with the native frontend, admittedly I’ve dropped my Hopper a few times. Who hasn’t? One of the drops was on a hard floor and straight down frontend first. I have a small dimple in the frontend opening giving my Hopper a bit of unintended character.