Oh yeah, leave it in place, that stuff ain't gonna come apart and it would never go back together. A propane torch will get hot enough to braise IIRC. The young guy has probably never braised, it's easy.
Hulk said it was expensive to do it the way the "young" plumber wanted to do it. He probably wants to change everything over to PVC.
Call an older guy Hulk, think small shop type guy. People used to patch things at one time.
