Mike--
I had the same type of problem with a sliding door hinge.  You probably had
rust and corrosion in there.  When you heat something, be careful.  It will
dry out the metal and make it extremely susceptible to more corrosion and
more of the same problems.  You should take the pedal out and run sandpaper
or emery cloth around the corroded part, then curl it into a tube and run it
thru the hole.  Re-lube the parts and this should cure your problem for a
much longer time than just heating it.  You're asking for more of the same if
you dont....

Good luck
Ned Savoie