TO-30 carb flooding

Hello I just rebuilt the entire engine and could not get it to start. I
noticed fuel dripping out of the carb. I thought it needed to be
cleaned. Took the whole thing apart and cleaned everything. Blew
out all of the jets and so on. One thing I did notice is the Main jet
needle tip looks like it has a tiny bit missing. Damaged. Would this
affect the carb to make it flood? Can you replace just the main jet
needle?

Thanks
 
It would definitely be part of a rebuild kit. It's probably worth getting a complete kit and rebuilding it after all you've done to the engine.
 
If the tip of the main needle is broken off, that's not a big problem. If you don't have a new one, which you would probably get in a kit, you could chuck it in a drill and file a new point on it.

The biggest concern is where is the broken tip? If it's jammed in the main jet, it will not run at all! You'll need to pull the main jet and punch the broken tip out from the back end.

You say the carb is flooding... True flooding is fuel running out the air horn any time the fuel valve is on, accompanied by black smoke and loading up at idle. This is caused by float set too high, trash in the needle/seat holding it open, sunk float, bad needle/seat, loose seat, bent or improperly assembled float.

Fuel dripping out the air horn following a failed start and using the choke is normal for an updraft carb. Also be sure the choke is operating properly.
 
If your carby is leaking just sitting there you might need an external float check. This is done with a barbed fitting into the bottom of the carby, a clear plastic hose with the open end of the hose held up toward the valve cover. Turn on the gas flow. It will level out showing you the level inside the carby. Too high? You found your leak. New carby kits should come with a viton tipped float needle. This rubber tipped needle will also help resist leakage past the needle seat from the old solid steel style of years gone by.
If your carby kit does not include a Viton rubber tipped needle, you may dsire to keep looking.
 
You may have to look elsewhere than this site for the jet, the comprehensive carb kit here does not have the correct size for the tsx458 carb. Check out robertson's for the jet.
 
Thanks guys,

I did a full rebuild of the carb and it did have the rubber tip.
Cleaned the whole thing and blew it out before installing the new
kit. Put it back together and it still drips out the bottom after trying
to start for just a short bit. This may be because the gas is not
getting burned off with the tractor not starting. All of the parts
seem to be working. I drained the tank and blew the lines out.
Starting with fresh gas and the battery died. I will give it a shot
again tomorrow. Rebuild of the engine, carb and new points cap
and rotor one would think the machine would fire rite up. I primed
the oil pump too.
 
I have had some fuel drip out of the carb during and shortly after start up and thought something was wrong. Now the engine seem to run just fine and so I would keep and eye on it and I haven't noticed and more leaking or dripping and engine runs fine. I believe it was from over choking the engine, once up and running there is no dripping or leaking I can see so I would say get the engine started and run the tractor and keep an eye on the carb if new rebuild you should be fine and being that it is rebuild it could be choking better and pulling more fuel up then it did before
 

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