This is a follow up question to Q&A 1115 and 1138.
Q&A 1115 stated that it is technically legal to forgo using a Smart Motor cartridge in the motor.
Q&A 1138 stated that it would not be legal to replace components inside of a motor cartridge with legally manufactured parts or to modify the internal components of the Motor cartridge.
R20c. States that teams may make the following modifications to the V5 Smart Motor’s user-serviceable features. This list is all-inclusive; no other modifications are permitted. i. Removing or replacing the gear cartridge with other official cartridges.
R20d. For the purposes of this rule, the gear cartridges found within the V5 Smart Motor are considered “part of the motor”. Therefore, any physical or functional modifications to official gear cartridges is not permitted.
Our question is the following. If a gear cartridge is removed from the motor, is another Vex legal motor cartridge the only component that can replace a motor cartridge inside of the motor, or can the motor cartridge be replaced by a non-motor-cartridge legally manufactured component that essentially connects a shaft to the pre-motor-cartridge output of the v5 motor?