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........My 26 hp Kohler Craftsman lawn mower would not start the other day and looking over it I discovered the plastic box surrounding the air cleaner and carb was full of gas. It is said that the only way to get gas in there is by the needle and seat which I have taken the carb off and are awaiting the kit. Does anybody have any other ideas???

Do you have a vent hose on the carb ?? It is a hose that might look like a fuel line. Some bigger engines have that.

If you do follow it down and see if it is plugged up.

Hope this helps Mon Ami ~!~!

The most common cause for your problem is a float needle not seating properly. Kohler carbs are not easy or cheap to clean and rebuild, so I'm saying it probably is not going to be a cheap. More than once I have tried to clean and rebuild them to no avail and have had to replace the carb. Sorry I don't have better news for you.

Thank you for responding, now that I have taken the carb off and cleaned it and looked it over and so forth I don't think it's the carb at all. I think the fuel pump has gone bad and that's the resaon the mower won't run and also the reason the gas all runs out, which it is sitting slightly downhill and all of the gas in the tank ran out!!!. But it's like you said, I don't think I could get a kit for that carb anyway. It's a Keihin, 32 053 12. this is a 26 hp Kohler in a Craftsman lawn mower. But carbs like this are usually found on motorcycles and snow mobiles. Ithink I can get a fuel pump easy enough. Thanks

A leaking fuel pump can dump gas into the engine sump, but won't cause gas to fill the air cleaner housing, and or carb throat with gas. You have a leaking carb problem. repair kit is part number 24 757 46-s list for around $81.00

Don't waste your time or money on a fuel pump. The picture you described does not indicate a pump problem, but carb problem.

I understand and thanks for sharing that with me, however my concern is it did it again with the carb in my shop. In other words I filled the tank again and overnight it all ran out through the fuel pump on the ground because I had the carb and the air filter housing in the shop!!! See what I mean?

That's because you had nothing to stop the fuel flow. Once it started flowing, it siphoned itself dry. Needle and seat would have stopped the flow.

Is there nothing inside the fuel pump? Then what is the use of having a fuel pump if the gas just runs straight through it? I'm not trying to be smart just trying to learn, Thanks.

There are two reed valves and a diaphragm with a spring return from the vacuum impulse from the crankcase. When the vacuum pulls the diaphragm it opens the reed on the intake side, and then when the springs pushes the diaphragm it closes the first reed valve and opens the other which is the outlet to the carb. In a neutral position, fuel can flow freely from inlet to outlet, but not backwards. All plunger type pumps work on this principle.

Oh I see then, thank you for explaining that. I understand the needle and seat results now clearly. Thanks