Mr Roadbike sir.Never buy a part until the problem is identified. A bad crankshaft is too expensive to fix. Engines are cheaper. A crankshaft would only be done if you had a thing for the mower. A dedicated LB guy would replace the crank f'rinstance. Me, a hacker, would just find and fix up a good replacement mower. They are everywhere. Some better than others. I have rescued 3 mowers from Craigslist free stuff. I'm into my 5th season with a C'list free stuff 2 stroke LawnBoy. It is my favorite mower. I use a Toro 3 speed with a 4 stroke Suzuki for keeping back the under brush. All that one needed was a 5/16 shoulder bolt on a height adjuster. 2nd summer for it. Waiting on the shelf is a personal pace Lawngirl with a Tec OHV. I fixed that with 2 3/8 bolts I had in a can on the shelf. I got it running on the 1st pull. It mows fine and I stored it for the future.I haven't bought a mower in 20 yrs. I am doing better and better since I found this and a few other small engine sites. I sorta like fixing stuff and keeping it going, and I am spending more time mowing than I do fixing mowers. So I figure I'm ahead or at least even. When I see the stuff being sold for car money, my cars anyway, I 'm glad I can tinker my old stuff.

Oh no, Paul James the Gardener Guy's manual method, maybe I will buy a goat. Better yet, I will pay the neighborhood kids $10 a bushel for all the grass they can pull from the clumps. Will need to try watering before pulling. Anything has to be better. (Propane torch?, Nah.)

Corn gluten meal is a very effective preemergent for anything propogated by seed. The key is timly application. Basically you make an application in the early fall for cool weather weeds and another in early spring for summer weeds such as crabgrass and perhaps your bent grass. The application rate is 20lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. of lawn. In addition, since CGM is 60% protein, it acts as an excellent fertilizer as it contains 9% nitrogen. However, CGM is ineffective on perennial weeds that are not spread by seeds an in fact fertilizes them.

Dear BT33 Thank you very much for your inquiry. I suggest you buy a product called Acclaim extra (fenoxaprop-ethyl). It will take out crabgrass easily, and with repeat applications 2-3 weeks apart will knockout the bermudagrass. You will need to go to a turf specialty/supply store (like Lesco) to get this product, I believe. Seeds and stems do travel via vehicles and water. There is little to do to prevent it. It has been happening in nature since the beginning. Again, thanks for the question and let me know if you have more. Respectfully Trey Rogers, The Briggs & Stratton Yard Doctor, YardDoctor.com