Not having the info to cross reference the serial number I cant help you with a certain identification of your engine. But I will hazard a guess - that its a 3.5 HP motor.

You can still get the rebuild kits for the carb. But before I would go buy one - I would:
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1. turn off the fuel shut-off valve.
2. remove the fuel bowl on the carb and clean it well.
3. with the fuel bowl still off - turn on the fuel shut off valve on - and gently tap the carb with the handle of a screw-driver (not to be confused with a huge ball-peen hammer). Have a coffee can below the bowl when you turn on the fuel valve, to catch the fuel and any parts which might accidentally drop such as a o-ring gasket - or the fuel cutoff assembly.
4. test your fuel shut-off valves operation by " GENTLY GENTLY GENTLY " pressing the float up and down several times - this will shake any debris loose and the flowing gas will help to wash it out . You should be able to see that you can now cut-off your fuel by doing this. (ahhhhh - i just love the smell of raw gas in the morning....)
5. reassemble - and have fun ...

If you see that you can shut off your fuel manually - and when its reassembled it still is leaking - then you probably need to bend the float bowl assembly a bit to lower the fuel line in the bowl ( this is not very common situation - and on some models impossible as the assembly is plastic - not sheet metal brass).

Ive gone through this routine many times and most of them have negated me needing a rebuild kit...

Oh yeah - this problem seems like it stemmed from not having a fuel filter (or cutoff valve)... So if you dont have any of this stuff on your new toy ... Do yourself a favor and get yourself the cut off valve, a small fuel filter, and maybe some extra fuel line.

Others may recommend you do the rebuild - but I dont think you'll need it - but i am feeling a bit optimistic today...

Some of these fuel bowls have (what I call) a little brass tickler valve / bleeder valve. They are spring loaded and by pressing them you can bleed the bowl dry (if the fuel valve is shut off).

I frequently "tickle" the carbonators on my tractors...
Because :
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1) flushes water and crud from the bowl helping to keep the inner carb clean (i get a lot of water in my gas for some reason).
2) its a good idea to empty the carb for seasonal storage.
3) I likes to tickle my tractors, and they likes it too!

Good luck to you sir ... Dave

Dave recommended:

"2) its a good idea to empty the carb for seasonal storage."

I've heard mixed reviews on draining the carb for the winter. Some say if you do that it increases the likelihood of jets and needles becoming clogged with varnish, etc. left over from the gasoline residuals (non-volitalizing components). Also air getting to gaskets and o-rings will dry them out and can cause leaks. I never bother with draining my carbs for that reason and seem to have no trouble starting and operating the next season. Maybe the luck of the draw tho? YMMV, etc, etc.

Bill

Hey Dave. Thanks for the info. I think this chipper/shredder may have been one of those models where there was old technology mixed with new.

On the carb bowl, there isn't a drain like you described. It is shown in the owner's manual, but isn't on this machine.

I've already taken the bowl off and sprayed carb cleaner into all the parts I can get it into. I've moved the float up and down, but apparently there is enough varnish to cause it to continue to stick. I actually had it running one time without the air filter on, but gas was pouring from a hole in the side of the carb. So, for safety's sake, I plan on taking the carb off and soaking it in carb cleaner.

There wasn't a fuel shutoff on this one either....there is now! I checked the oil, and it was watery with a faint smell of gas. I've changed the oil now, so I think once I rebuild/soak the carb I should be good to go.

I've also replaced the gas line. It definitely was cracked, so off that went too. I made sure I had a good fire extinguisher close by in case of a boo-boo. Once I get it running and usable, I'll shut the gas off. I'll let it burn the remainder of the gas in the carb out. I learned that trick from here.

Thanks!

If you soak the carb(and if you don't) you'll probably need to replace the (vicon seat and needle in the carb )Harsh carb clean and bad fuel ruins the seat ....allowing the fuel to overfill the carb bowl and run out of the atmospheric vent .....welcome to the world of Tecumseh carbs ,Jim