# Gas pours out sparkplug hole



## 1948man

I've got an old Craftsman riding mower (probably at least 12 yrs old). It's been sitting for years and I decided to try to clean the carb. I use a different Garden tractor but wanted to practice my wrenching on the old one before I mess with the newer one. The old one has a 15.5 hp Briggs I/C Gold engine. I removed the tank and cleaned it and replaced the fuel line and filter. I figured out how to get the carb off and cleaned what I could see. Made sure carb cleaner would penetrate the holes I could see and spurt out some other orifice. I didn't take out any jets. I wasn't sure it was really clean since I didn't have a schematic or way to know everything about disassembly. I put it back together and put gas in the tank. When I pulled the sparkplug out to replace it, gas poured out the hole. The gas is just flowing from the tank right into the cylinder. I figured it would need a vacuum. I'm wondering if I hooked up the linkage wrong. Should the butterflies be closed or open at medium throttle? They are open and close only at high throttle the way I have it connected.


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## rpmp3

check to see if the float has gas in it,(a small pin hole from a solder joint can fail) could be repair or just buy new one. by shaking it you may hear fluid in the bowl, that will certainly hold the needle wide open, if not good idea to replace needle and seat, same principal as your toilet when water fills up water shuts off, bad case would be filling your crank case with gas and oil, check dipstick for overfill or gas smell, running with the 2 mixed could wear friction points faster like cam,then you should drain and put fresh oil in crank and change filter if there is one present. hope this helps


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## 1948man

Thanks for the reply Rpmp3. I will take the carb back off and do as you advise. I don't suppose there is a link to a site that has a fiche of different Briggs carbs, is there? I'm not the most mechanical guy but can usually figure out things with a picture.


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## jrrdw

site that has a fiche of different Briggs carbs


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## la1

if u take the carb apart u will need gaskets or u will have more leaks...probably the valve that the float activates is gummed open.


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## kjms1

the butterflies should be open the on;y time it should be closed is when choking it for cold sart ... that would dump in SOME fuel but it would NOT pour in the cyl.
I would guess when you took the carb apart the needle & seat moved and you didnt get it back in right when you put the carb back together or like rpmp3 said the float could be heavy and sinking in the bowl causing the seat to stay open letting fuel pour in


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## kjms1

when you fix the problem you will need to change the oil ... mot likely gas has got in the oil and it no longer has much of a lubricating value


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