Thanks, bibilit! I attribute it to buying all the right materials before getting started - a lot of people said things like: 'don't use grandpa's old pliers or soldering iron'. I have no idea what my grandfather's soldering iron would have looked like as he's been dead for over two decades, but I can definitely say having the right tools helped. I can also attest to the fact that the 'twist' method works at removing the old caps, though there was one that was looking particularly corroded and I nearly took the pad off. It twisted a bit, but remained seated. Whew!