I am planning on adjusting my valves.Does the pin just push in on a plunger, or do you remove it and then stick it in when the hole in the back of gear when it appears in the hole that the pin came out of? It looks awful tight to be prying off clips to get the pin out

 

You put forward pressure on it and turn the engine over until it drops in, 2 people makes it eaiser but go slow too fast and you will break the pin off. Be sure to remve the pin before turning engine any more. Personally I nver use the timming pin when adjusting valves if your by yourself its too agervating.

 

If you want to use the pin. Pull the valve covers off, and bar the engine over until the #6 cylinder valve train starts to rock. This will mean you are close to #1 TDC. You can tell by the damper bolts almost being a "level square." Once you've done this, you could then go to the pin and apply pressure so that when you begin barring the engine again it will slide in to the hole. This all works great if you don't have a broken pin. Sometimes the pin is so tight, that you need to work force it. Just be careful. If you pull the pin, and stick your finger in the hole to feel for the indent in the gear, then you will have to reinstall the clip, or it may come out while driving. Always bar in rotation too.

 

Infernob,can you please explain bar in rotation? Sorry but I want to get it right the first time.

 

To adjust the valves without needing TDC you can just rotate until one valve on a cylinder is fully compressed, when it is you can adjust the other valve (EX: When the exhaust valve is all the way down the intake valve is loose, and can be adjusted then.)

 

Looking at the front of the engine(pulley side). The rotation is clockwise, so you are turning or barring the engine in rotation.

 

Here's a tech article explaining the whole process :

http://www.dodgeram.org/tech/dsl/val.../12_valve.html

 

What I did after the first time I set my valves and I knew the pin was inserted then I knew it was up on TDC. I put three punch marks on the balancer at the leading edge of the pick up sensor that is over the harmonic balancer,then the next time you adjust the valves or change timing is to remove the cover from number one cyl.,and after you see the intake valve open you will know as you turn the engine over that you are not 180 deg. out. I also had trouble with the pin,it came out on m, so from under the truck you can look into the hole where the pin was. You then look for the hole in the cam gear if you don't see it you can bar the engine over while you are under the truck by yourself. If I remember you may also look in the hole with a light and mirror from above and look for the hole in the cam geer.