WR-450 FCR Carb Question/Issue

[Tdel]

Here's the deal, my friend has a WR 450 that has a leaky petcock, and hi didn't figure it out until this past weekend. For the past 12 months the fuel was continually filling the carb and gumming it up. As you would expect the bike would not run this weekend. I pulled the float bowl off and cleaned all the jets and passages with compressed air and carb cleaner. Here's the issue/question I can't get anything to flow past the float needle. I filled the fuel supply tube (on the carb) several times with carb cleaner and tried with up to 100psi of compressed air to get anything to flow past the float needle. I did all this with the floats removed, but I can't get the needle out (it doesn't appear to drop out like on my 2 stroke carbs). Any suggestions on how to clean out the main fuel supply passage?

Thanks,
TDel

 

[Ol'89r]

Tdel.

Those bikes have a very small needle and they can get stuck in the needle seat if the fuel has gone bad. You will have to take a pair of needle nose pliers and physically remove the needle from the seat. Then, clean the seat and replace the needle. It would be a good idea to drain and replace the fuel in the tank also.