I would be placing the 8mm rod in the spindle hole and rotate it until it is horizontal at around the 9 o'clock position. Place a length of wood (say 50 x 50mm) under it up close to the spindle to give the rod good support close to where it engages in the hole. Once you have set up like this use Skew's method to dislodge the faceplate. Having a long length of 8mm rod only supported a long way from the spindle allows it to flex a lot and will not create any jarring action when you tap the components you attach to the faceplate.
See rough sketch attached.
Attachment 459574