Wow. Never thought that so many people would chime in on this one, but I'm glad that they did.
Although I'm not a grizzled old mechanic with 40+ years of experience, I have torn down more than a few engines of all types, including 2 stroke single cyl engines, hit/miss farm engines, lawn mower engines, and more than a few car engines. From what I've seen, most people would be astounded by the internal conditions of some running engines. My first smallblock rebuild had a #2 main bearing that looked like shredded wheat, but it ran well, had full oil pressure, and no noises at all. While a stuck engine may not look very good on the inside, many of them will run despite pits in the cylinder walls, loose bearings, etc.
I'd like to hear what others have found when they disassembled a running engine.
Chris
