2N Carb need to regroup

I have excellent and detailed instructions from Rob and Dell and comments from others. Both instructions start with setting the idle and this is becoming a major hurdle. The problem in a nutshell? I can remove the throttle screw COMPLETELY OFF the carb and not get a stall. Removing the governor arm has no effect other than to make things harder. The throttle arm is smack up against the post and there is no more adjustment room.

Please can we regroup!? I thought based on a comment from Rob that I would pull and recheck the ports to make sure they are clean and I will get into that here soon if the fool phone will quit ringing. I am wondering if maybe I put something back together wrong. Maybe the throttle assembly? It looks right to me, but then it doesn't exactly work right now does it? I do remember that the throttle plate did not completely fill the hole the way the choke plate does and that it would not completely close off the hole.

Just for icing on the cake, the dripping is back. I did not turn off the gas last night and my empty catch pan has about a half cup of gas this AM. Is it OK to set the float different than 1/4" or no?

When I reassemble a carburetor that has had the throttle shaft removed, I back off the idle speed screw, and then assemble the throttle plate to the throttle shaft, leaving the screws loose.

Then, move the plate around with a finger until it fits well in the throttle bore, and tighten the screws.

The holes in the throttle plate area bit oversized to allow some movement to match up the plate with the bore.

After tightening the screws, hold the carb upper body towards a light source, and look into the throttle bore to see if the throttle plate (butterfly) appears centered, and closes well, so there is no area of light showing on one side or the other of the throttle plate.

When you are satisfied with the location of the plate, take one screw out at a time, and put a drop of medium-strength LockTite on it and reinstall. Originally, the screws were "staked" from the backside at the factory, and the drop of LockTite will prevent any chance of the engine gobbling up a screw, should it ever loosen.

Making sure the throttle plate fits the bore in this manner will prevent problems with not being able to get it to idle down, and also MAY help idle quality, because the tiny holes that feed the fuel mixture in at idle are right next to when the closed plate meets the throttle bore. Having the throttle plate centered restores the correct relationship between these ports and the closed throttle plate.

When you're done with the throttle plate, turn the idle speed screw back in until it contacts the stop, and then 1 or 1-1/2 turns more, so the stop screw is holding the throttle plate just barely open, instead of the throttle plate wedging in the bore.

Obviously, the final adjustment of the idle speed screw will be made with the engine running.

Don't reset the float level, if it is set to factory spec's. It make have some crud in it, which may work it's way through, or just need a smack upside the head, as Dan suggests, to help it seat. Hopefully, you have tightened the inlet valve seat TIGHT into the upper carburetor body, as this can be a source of leakage.

(It pleases me that I have learned enough to understand the question I just asked!)

With the idle speed screw backed off, the plate should close very closely to the throttle bore. If it doesn't, loosen the screws and see if you can move it around so it closes better. You may have to take the screws out, and turn the plate 180 degrees, and try again.

Ok - with the tractor shut off, screw in BOTH the main and idle adjuster needles until it stops. Now, unscrew the main needle 1 1/2 turns. Now, start the tractor and unscrew the idle needle until your engine is running the fastest - listen closely. It will take anywhere between 1/2 a turn to a max of about 1 full turn from seated. THEN adjust the idle screw on the linkage to obtain a 400 (or so) RPM idle. Easy as pie - right?

Now for your leak. All carb rebuilds I have done (about 20 so far) almost always leak right when I put them on. My cure? Take a large wooden (or plastic) handled screwdriver and rap soundly on the side of the carb with the handle about the middle of the carb. This "seats" the valve needle and almost always fixes the problem. You usually only need to do this once, and I have only had to do this twice with one carb. Do not set the float more than the spec 1/4".

Good luck,
Dan