Here's what I did at 11:45PM, after long bouts of swearing and bruised ribs and sore shoulders: BTW,
I don't recommend anyone doing this and do not take responsibility for following my desperate stupidity.
Since I couldn't get the bottom pin to go in with the pedal fully engaged, I ended up taking the top out and started with the bottom installed first. I couldn't get the top pin in when the pedal was down, so I put the spring mechanism firmly into place and slowly let go of the pedal. I realize this meant that the spring mechanism is loaded now without a top pin installed to keep it in place, but at 52lb or whatever, I figured I would put on some safety goggles and quickly slip the top pin in with my hand over the spring mechanism to keep it from popping out, and hoping it was all lined up to allow easy insertion of the pin (unlike the ******* bottom, which I couldn't line up after many attempts).
I would not do this under any circumstance with the stock 300lb+ spring, and my justification for the new spring being less dangerous might be misinformed, but I was so f'n tired of dealing with it that I was prepared to live with this flying around my cockpit like the cirpin and the fuse panel nut (both of which have disappeared into oblivion within my interior).
Anywho, got it in, and I'm not replacing it again.
