hey boy's so i need some pointer's on degreeing a cam shaft in my 318, now i was told ya had to pull the motor & head's but is it easier to do it with the motor still in the truck/car?? my rig is a 81 d150 i plan to pull the front clip if needed, but i DONT want to pull the head's unless i really really have to.. couldnt i just use a piston stop?? like i said any pointer's on doing this period would be great..

Yes buy a ten dollar piston stop & first find true TDC with it. I'd measure your preload & grab a pair of junk hyd lifters & stack washers etc to lock the height of the cup solid at the same depth as the amount of preload you have. I.E. lock the cup solid .025" below the snap ring.

You can replace and degree the cam in the truck, just remove the radiator. No need to pull the heads. If your replacing the cam, you will need to pull the intake to get to the lifters. Not sure how much room for the degree wheel, but I have used a 9" degree wheel when the engine is in the car, just get one with a large center hole for the crank bolt.
This one looks like it has the large hole and is cheap.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/cca-4790/recommendedparts

A piston stop that screws in the spark plug hole to find TDC.
I use this Crane one. Has a hole in that makes turning the engine over easy.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/crn-99412-1/overview/

These crank sockets that the degree wheel attaches to make the job easier if you want to spend the extra $40.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/cca-4799/overview/make/dodge

You need a 1" travel dial indicator and stand or other attachment device. A set of dial indicator extensions make it easier when checking with the head on, but you could measure off a pushrod or some other extension.

Degree wheel pointer is usually just some thick wire with a pointed end.

I use a 6" long 1/4" extension as a piston stop. Use the larger ratchet end to contact the piston. When I get the right depth, I wrap enough tape around the extension to act as a stop at the plug hole for repeatability.

Good point on the crank socket. To use it the degree wheel hole needs to be 1". If your just using the crank bolt, the hole would be 3/4".
The $17 Comp Cams degree wheel says you can use it with the crank socket. The $21 Summit degree wheel only has a 3/4" center hole.