HI All,  Colin Hinz makes a good point.  Damon didn't say anything about
the unit being a Standard.  But his explanation of the problem sounded
so familiar that I figured it must be a Standard.

Also, I recommended a lag-type bolt.  What I should have
recommended was a stainless steel bolt.

Lastly, inserting a bronze bearing into the brass (or steel)
pedal linkage would be a great idea, but it's not easy to do
and would most likely be best handled by a professional
machine shop.

(Thanks for your comments and advice Colin)

Musically,

John A. Tuttle