Funny thing is I used to do that test. When I was 16 and working at the Sears service center, they would give me the old lawnmowers to destroy. Instead of hitting them with the sledge hammer that was provided I tried filling the crankcase with various things. Never got one to sieze with no oil or straight water. A few scoops of dirt in the crank case stopped it in a matter of seconds. Thinking back on sticking the governor to WOT with a rotating blade while standing next to it waiting for it to blow wasn't the brightest thing.