69 220D tension rail pin (can't remove)

[Ralph69220d]

First, I want to say that I have the MB Srvc Man for my 69 220D. I also did searches to see if anyone has encountered and/or solved the problem I'll describe. It is the tension rail which needs replacement. I have reason to believe the car had this problem when I bought it. The timing chain seemed to be a bit noisy. I pulled the valve cover and saw the tension rail had somehow moved towards the front of the engine at an angle half-cocked so that it was only pushing on the timing chain at the outer link of the forward chain (double-roller chain). Studying the manual I could see only two reasons that the tension rail could cock itself like this: that would be if the hole on the bottom of the tension rail had broken so that it is no longer secured by the "thrust pin" "pin bearing" (I've seen it referred to in both these ways), or somehow it is possible to miss the tension rail hole with the thrust pin before I got the car. To see how difficult it would be to pull the pin I first pulled the pin on the chain guide adjacent to the cam sprocket with an M6 bolt and washer's. I had no problem pulling this pin. So, when I put the crank at TDC so the recess in the balancer lines up with the tension rail pin I approached it in the same manner. First thing I notice (still using the same stainless stell M6 bolt) is that I only get a few threads in and, I think, but I don't know, it appears the pin is spinning with the bolt. So, I remove my M6 bolt and it looks in good shape leading me to think I'm not cross threading it, though in my temporary living arrangement I don't have access to my tools, and I can't get a good view to see if someone previous to me had damaged the threads in the pin, preventing me to get the pulling bolt further in. The manual lists both a M6 and an M8 bolt for pulling with an extractor (which I don't have). I can't imagine it's an M8 hole or I'd get no bite using an M6.
Is it possible that someone previously had put in a new tension rail and it didn't slide all the way into position and the pin completely missed the hole in the tension rail? I guess the point is moot if I can't get the thrust pin out anyway.
Can anyone tell me if the M6 bolt used to extract the guide rail thrust pin is the same size (M6) to remove the thrust pin for the tension rail? Do you think my guess is correct that the M6 as soon as it gets a bite, but not enough of a bite to extract, is spinning the thrust pin preventing me from getting the bolt to thread in?
One last point in this saga. The chain tensioner thrust rod at some point in it's life rode directly on the chain and chewed it up badly, so it'll have to be replaced. But, it seem's to me that was a previous problem as the timing chain looks in good order and timing is dead on center on the cam/crank.
Any help in getting that thrust pin out for the tension rail would be appreciated. I'm embarassed to say I don't at present even have the cash to rent a proper extractor. The big thing is if anyone has had problems with the pin, the half-cocked tension rail and was the lower part of the rail busted that resulted in this.