Al, I appreciate you taking the time to hypothesize on possible causes. The thing folks need to remember is there are a lot of us that read these threads and sometimes do not have a decent clue about what could be going on. Putting forth possible numbskull scenarios that might be a factor helps those of us with less know-how than Brian.
Some of this kind of stuff I read over, eyes glaze over because I don't have a frame of reference...I have never torn down a saw. But, I can generalize the specifics of what you say to get an idea of how these things can work.
So, thanks...from me anyway...and to you, too, Magnus and the other postulators...y'all have a lot of knowledge and I appreciate you being there to tap into. (I think there are other guys/gals out there who watch and process these saw fix-it ramblings like I do, too)