von siphon » 27.02.2012 17:48
The possibility of swapping the components 1:1 seems highly unlikely to me, as the more modern Pi has definitely a different connector on the mainboard, even though there is a high degree of likelihood that the panel itself is compatible (provided they have the same 30 pin connector layout, screen size etc.). Pretty much all 15.4 inch screens have been demonstrated to be interchangeable with each other.
However, as I see it, your issue sounds more like a semi-broken cable/loose contact/defective cable connection somewhere along the route from the mainboard to the inverter, or from the inverter to the screen, as the inverter and screen themselves seem to be alright, and you only lose the backlight as soon as you turn the screen in to an upright position.
So, imo, replacing the cable harness should have the highest likelihood of success and is the road to take.