I was trying to start my Craftsmen Riding lawnmower 13.5 HP and i check to see if it was flooded and yes it was so i left it overnight and i came back the next afternoon and saw that there was MORE gas in the intake then a few hours later there was none so i went to start it and the whole intake filled up with gas and spit it out. I think it may be a leak or something in the carb but i dont know please help. Thank You
The needle & seat in the carburetor are not sealing the flow of gasoline as they were designed to. You need to rebuild or replace the carburetor and make sure to change the oil & filter (if equipped) before attempting to start the engine. Also, the cylinder could have some fuel in it so remove the spark plug and allow the fuel to evaporate. Use a hemostat or vise grip to pinch off the fuel line and install a fuel cutoff valve. A fuel cutoff valve allows you to stop fuel flow any time you want and it is a good idea to use the cutoff every time the mower will sit unused.
This story of a leaking carburetor reminded me of a neighbor up the road from me that got into the habit of driving his riding mower into the under house garage and refueling it. Well, he got by with it for years until one day in 1984 or 85 (can't recall exact date) he was mowing and went in the garage to refuel the mower. That day the wind must have been calm because the ~~~~~fumes~~~~~ traveled across the garage floor and when they were ignited by the pilot light on the gas water heater, the whole basement blew up like dynamite and set the house on fire. He barely had time to get out and warn his wife upstairs. In the meantime he forgot to shut off the gas supply outside and that only made the fire worse since no one could get to it to shut it off. The house was burned to the ground leaving only a chimney and part of a foundation showing. So BE CAREFUL when refueling these engines!! Or having a leaking carburetor indoors!!
