I rebuilt a pedal tonight. A Wellgo platform. My MTB was making click-crink noises and that seemed like the first place to look since I could feel it in my left toes. I looked at the pedal and I could see a few burrs of aluminum... must have started it cross threaded at some point, but I really don't remember. Anyhow only the first turn of thread is spoiled. Pulled the pedal off and it wasn't smooth, a few little hitches. Quite tight. I pulled it apart and couldn't find any FOD. I noted that the inner set of balls had polished the flat black coating off the spindle but I couldn't find a similar line on the outer end of the spindle. I cleaned everything well and greased it a lot and put it back together and adjusted it. Now when I turn it, it no longer has any hitches, but I feel something like a constant scrape going all around the spindle. The pedal has taken a few hits and one of the pins on the outside of the cage is quite bent, but the action doesn't do the loose-tight thing that it might if the internals were bent.

I guess I'm not really looking for advice. I'm just disappointed it didn't turn out perfect.