I’m just reading some of the posts. I’m not a mechanic nor a carburetor specialist. I’m not even familiar with this particular carburetor (though I’m getting ready to buy one). One sure way to verify if the needle seats & stops the flow of gas is to remove the top so you can see the top of the float in the bowl. Let the gas flow, push down on the float and verify if the needle works as it should. I’m probably way off here but just offering my 2 cents! Best of luck!