Ironic that the timing of this thread coincided with a P0108 code of my own.
I managed to change out the EGR without incident. If most people are snapping off the nipple of the fuel pressure sensor/regulator,,,, it is most likely when tightening the big nut on the EGR tube.
The trick is to take "small bites" with the wrench during the final torque. Most likely you won't be able to get the wrench "square" on the nut... so mak a small partial turn,,, and "re-bite" the wrench deeper on the nut. You may have to do this several times to get a good torque on the nut.
Also... when loosening or re-tightening the nut on the tube,,, it goes faster if you invert the wrench every other turn. It doesn't hurt at the same time to cover the fuel sensor/regulator with your other hand,,, that way if you bump ithe nipple... your hand is in the way to soften/prevent a costly problem.
Yeah,,, I went against recommendation... and bought an aftermarket EGR assembly. But,,, Standard Motor Products has been around for over a half century... and I trust them. I'll report if that brand EGR has any issues.
There seem to be some subtle symptoms of the EGR failure before the P0108 code. Slightly rough idle, abnormal throttle response, (which can also cause some abnormal shifing from the trans, (both mostly in city driving. Slightly lower milage,,, and possibly a slight temperature rise of the engine... causing the cooling fan to come on in temps cooler than would be normal for it to come on. Also,,, an intermittent "jerk" or "buck" similar to a coil misfire... when at speeds of 45-55 mph.
In case the last couple statements becomes a point of contention,,, think about it. EGR starts to fail,,, and leaks a lean mix back into the combustion chambers. A lean engine will run hotter,,, and if bad enough... to the point it will misfire. Computer can compensate to a point,,, but then it gets confused due to "mixed signals" from multiple problems... which is only caused by one primary issue.