I had no luck trying to remove that play, but with the rebuild, it's only there if you go looking for it. There is a long, plastic bush on the crank side of the pedal and I suspect that if this were a better fit, there wouldn't be that wobble, but you can only get rid of it by doing up the bearings too tight. Interestingly, I first noticed this play after doing up the pedal that's just gone tight on me, then pulled it apart and had another go only to discover that you can't remove the play. Anyone like to bet that if I'd left the pedal alone it wouldn't have bound up?

Regarding the tool, I know I've seen tube spanners in about that size somewhere, I just haven't gone looking. With a tube spanner for the cone nut and a quarter inch socket on a long arm for the lock nut, it should be possible to do the job properly without enriching Shimano's coffers. Jamming a thin screw driver against the nut seems to work but it's obviously hit and miss.

On a positive note, the pedals are silky smooth under my feet now.

Richard