Sorry for the lack of action shots, as I couldn't imagine that there would be any interest in such an obscure device! I'll attach some pics here later so you can get the general idea, it's pretty simple. Just remove the six screws in back, remove the battery cover and batteries, flip out the rubber temperature sensor covers and then carefully pry off the back cover, making sure the battery terminals slip through the holes in the case and don't get torn off.
Once inside, see the pic that shows the flash in the middle on the left (with the manifold connections down). I used Chip Quik (1st time, worked great), and my MiniPRO TL866A to flash a new chip. I didn't attempt to reuse the old chip, but it may have been fine.
Once verified, I simply cleaned up the board as explained in the Chip Quick directions and resoldered the flash. Super simple. Reassemble in reverse order and you are good to go.
As for the date of my unit, I vaguely recall asking about warranty status when I called the mfg, so I don't think it was covered, but I might have been boneheaded about that...