if it is noisy you can fix that with potentiometer adjustments Turn the V104 potentiometer clockwise ever-so-slightly.
yes, you just pry the center spindle off the top. To put it back on you just push it back into place but it can be a very big pain trying to get the height correct. Most likely you will end up having to reinstall it over and over again until you get the height at the right spot. usually only good to remove this if your motor is actually bad or you need to replace the spindle top itself because it's bent.
in your case I would leave it alone and make a small adjustment instead. also, what kinds of discs are you using? CDR discs can make the lens sound much louder.