Yeah, I was worried that those other sacs would be too wide. I think if you can empty the Launch Pad sacs from the bottom drain plug, they'll empty faster and get most of the water out. The only problem is when the sac is full, if you take off the bottom drain cap, all the water pours into your boat!
I found some hose valves at Lowes for a few bucks, and I'm going to try them out. I'll take some pictures this weekend and send them to you. I think each valve was about $3 or something like that.
As for the t-bar, mine just tapped out of the side with a hammer. It looks attached, but it's actually just pushed into a hole in the pylon. A couple of good taps, and it should come right out. I'd hang onto it, just incase you want to sell the boat someday.