How to know when to give up on Shimano pedals

Hello hive mind!

I’ve serviced a few shimano pedals in my time. I believe one of the reasons they’re a design classic is the ‘squeeze out the old grease’ method of servicing. I’ve never done a full strip-down or bearing replacement but it looks doable if tricky.

However, I’ve offered to help a friend with his pedals and from what I can tell there’s a LOT of play in them. I’ll happily crack them open and see if tightening the cone nut helps, but I’m wondering if there’s anything I should look out for before I drive myself insane trying to adjust bearings that are actually toast.

Any advice gladly accepted on making sure I don’t waste too much time on these, or any other tips on getting them just right.

Thanks in advance!

Shimano SPDs are pretty straight-forward - though I have to admit to only buying XTRs. My advice is be sure to have the right thin open end wrench for adjusting the cone. Without the right wrench setting the cone adjustment can be frustrating,

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