Basically, people say that as the engine ages and wears down, the built up «crud» of various sorts kind of fills in the wear gaps and keeps things functioning, but that cleaning can both release so much gunk that it clogs things up, and
loosens worn parts of making things fail.
The trackpads «
loosen up» a bit with
wear and tear, but for the most
part, they're infinitely more functional and less prone to breakage than track balls.