any site-reference to where you read about pin's function?
Have tried to find it for you but can't seem to work my google-fu at the moment. I seem to remember reading you had to push it through with a nail or something and then fish it out of the adjuster when dissasembled.
BUTI didn't like what I was reading and a jammed
shock adjuster on a one week old bike was bad enough I didn't want to be responsible for breaking the thing. But still, after I gave her a squirt with the lube and got onto it with the strap wrench it has been fine.