online remove mysqld api nodes (no replies)

version: mysql-5.1.56 ndb-7.1.17

I want to remove 4 MYSQLD API nodes from my running cluster. Is it doable or is it whack?

I started the process and removed the following from the config.ini:

[MYSQLD]
NodeId = 35
HostName = 172.16.21.105

[MYSQLD]
NodeId = 36
HostName = 172.16.21.106

[MYSQLD]
NodeId = 37
HostName = 172.16.21.107

[MYSQLD]
NodeId = 38
HostName = 172.16.21.108

After restarting both ndb_mgmd servers they can't see any of the data/api nodes (despite the cluster still functioning). I see a lot of these in the remaining online data/api nodes:

2014-09-03 17:38:42 [ndbd] ERROR -- Could not set dynamic port for 11->35 (TransporterRegistry.cpp:2096) - Repeated 7 times