bit late to tell you now , but assemble the cooler to the egr valve first, this enables plenty of space to refit the clip, get yourself a pair of fencing pliers, there cheap enough and do the job, then refit cooler ang egr together.

but before that looks like you need to buy a new egr valve.

 :'(

Do you have a link to the fencing pliers you'd recommend... I googled them and it seemed to throw up many different types... 

Will look for a link later, but like these, but there no good in situ for the clip the egr end as the handles are to long, that's why on my previous post I said about assembling egr and cooler first. 

Those clips are a pain though, I have seen clips that are available that are like an exhaust clamp with an Allen headed screw 

I've got the proper tool for those clips, takes seconds to get on or off!  

Valve needs replacing or mapping out though.  Don't know what they cost new but some places will just 'switch off' the EGR maps, might be cheaper.

Toms offering his services! Lol

Haha, I would if he was local!   

"Have tool , will travel" is toms signature.

Hahaha, Tom, do you have a link to the barsteward tool?

Tom, your definition of "blow a bit of exhaust" is slightly different to what I heard......

Jeez, like a bloomin boy racer/tractor combination! ... Thought it was quite amusing actually... not sure what the neighbours thought as I chugged down the road....

if your getting that it definitely sounds like the EGR is blowing, I disconnected my circulation pipe the other day and started the engine to see what it sounds like.... sounded like I had removed all silencers and had a massive echo.... oh wait... I pretty much did :p

Haha, James that was when I had to move the car as I ran out of light.. I had the cooler connected up, but the egr valve on the seat next to me.... 

Lol, I don't tend to worry about the noise, was more worried about you breathing it in lol.  

This is the tool, I'm sure there are cheaper/other brands about.  The swivelling 'head' means you can get it in tight places. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Laser-4231-Clamp-Pliers-Swivel/dp/B003AN3HAO

I bought a pair of laser hose clip pliers. They do the job well enough and are good for hose clips as well. 19.99 from halfrauds currently. Most auto factors are likely to sell them too.

Yesterday I screeched off to halfrauds and bought myself the laser pipe pliers. I liked the idea of the swivelling head ones, but I needed something now now now... so bought those, used the card for a small discount and got the clip on relatively easily this morning. I also pulled the plug on the egr valve as simon suggested. It threw up a code, but so far the car seems to be running without any issues (limp mode) so it may be my short term cure until I fit a working egr valve in - still blanked! >.<

It will still throw up an error code with the EGR blanked, orifice restriction should be the one it throws up. If that is the only one it throws up with the EGR connector on the valve then I would leave it as is. But if it pops up various error codes then I would swap it so it just has the one error code and the car effectively thinks the EGR is still fully functional.

Update, at the moment the EGR is blanked, but also unplugged  as the EGR valve appears to be cream crackered... so pending a few more pennies and the exchanging of said pennies for a working valve it's going to remain that way. An engine light came on straight away after I unplugged it, so I'm assuming thats what its all about, I've not plugged in and checked yet though. Took the car for a bit of a run, acceleration is better, smoother, mpg has improved (it won't sound like much) but on a very twisty cornish A road, lots of ups and downs and turns - great drive, I was avg about 50-52mpg...speed was averaging a bit higher than that... 

Also one thing I'd noticed in the past was that when I reached a hill and was accelerating up it as quick as the card could go, it had this pulsating sort of feeling, like a boost of turbo then a drop, then a boost, then a drop etc. Nothing sharp or juddery, but nothing smooth. That has; as far as I'm aware, gone! Seems to be all smooth! hooray!

So, not out of the woods just yet, but things are looking better...