8v starting trouble

[Gem]

Edit: Designadubs is quite close to me, so if you live anywhere near Bracknell let me know and I'll give you a hand if you like

Cheers for the advice, just what I need to learn!  VW Spares does look good and I'm shocked at the prices, so much cheaper than I thought, excellent stuff

I'm in Basingstoke, so not a million miles from Bracknell but maybe not close enough?  Dizzy and rotor arm sounds like something I could do myself no probs, but I don't have a spark plug socket.  Mind you I have always wished I could do the basic stuff myself so maybe this is my opportunity to learn!

[rubjonny]

Not too far aye, if you get stuck you could always drop round at the weekend
halfords sell the sparkie sockets seperate, but now might be the oportunity do get a decent socket set with one included   If you do go down there, take your socket & sparkplug wrench with you so you get one with the right sized hole and for the right sized sparkie

[Agreeable Slick]

13mm deep socket, with a rubber gromit at the end on the inside if poss. 

When doing the dizzy i think i am right in saying that you need to TDC (top dead centre) it, before removing and fitting.  Rotor arms are complete bastards to do, a majority of the time they are glued on. DO NOT TRY TO LEVER THEM OFF! you will bend the cap on the dizzy. I ended up smashing my old one to bits to get it off and then cleaning it before putting the new one on. Get a whole unit to fit now though. Much easier.

All these people making themselves apparent from being around the surrey area, and i thought i was the only one before i went back to uni. 

[Gem]

I'll try and give it a go anyway, and if it all goes wrong I can always shout and scream at it and throw tools across the driveway, it's not like the neighbours don't think my behaviour is bizarre enough anyway 

Funny you should mention Surrey, I may live in North Hampshire but I work in Surrey, Farnham to be precise, I'm one of those poor people on the M3 every day 

[rubjonny]

The Slick Effect:
Nope it doesn't have to be at TDC to remove it, and only the 16v ones are glued in place.  On an 8v they pop off nicely

[Agreeable Slick]

ah i stand corrected. Well that makes it an easier job for me then.  yeah my one was well and truely glued on. Ended up with what was essentially a red/orange powder all over the engine bay that used to be my rotor arm.