So I still have a lot going for the M535i this winter and when I took the brake booster out the other day for some work I'm doing, I (thanks to the tip from this group) had to remove the linkage to the brake pedal. While I was down in there I noticed there was quite a bit of slop in the gas pedal. Once the brake booster was out, I could see that the rod linkage that goes through the firewall was rattling around! It was obvious some bearing or bushing was missing, on both sides.
I ordered up (2) of #4 in this image.
Over the weekend I got them in and put the gas pedal linkage back together. The bushings are fairly hard rubber so I could not quite press them in. I ended up microwaving some water until it was boiling, putting the bushings in there to soften them, and then I was barely able to squeeze them in.
I have no idea what happened to my old bushings but I would guess the rubber got old and cracked and somehow disintegrated. Very odd though.
