e brake pin won't stay in...help

Hi all,

New member, first post. I have a 2002 tacoma xtracab 3.4L trd. My front e-brake cable snapped, so I just replaced it for the first time. To see how it works, I wanted to remove the hand brake and to do so I had to pull out the little pin (more like a small piece of straight stock with a flattened part) that sticks into the hand brake's shaft at a 90 degree angle and rides in the groove in the shaft guide (same pin that turns the light out when brake is down). Perhaps this was not a good idea. It seemed a bit stuck, so I worked it with pliers until it came lose, and seems like it is a pressure fit piece. Now that the new cable is installed, the pin does not want to stay snug in the shaft. I have banged it with a small hammer and pushed with channel locks, but I wanted to be sure that: 1. I hadn't inadvertently broke the thing if the pin is not supposed to come out and 2. that there wasn't a simple assembly step I am missing. It is currently staying put, but I am afraid it will fall out easily. Any advice is appreciated.

Seth