My riding mower has a Briggs & Stratton 22hp engine. Sometimes it floods when I first try to crank it. When it does this, gas leaks and drips from above the carb float bowl. I suspect a gasket is to blame there. My bigger question is: I have disconnected the gas line from the fuel pump to the carb and noticed that gas continually flows through the hose even with the engine off. If I hold the hose pointing directly skyward, it stops. Is this OK or is there possibly a problem with the fuel pump? I eventually get the engine to crank and it runs fine for hours. I saw other posts about fuel pumps and one mentioned that a low level in the gas tank could produce fuel pumping issues. The last time this occurred I did notice that the tank was almost empty. Could a faulty gas cap contribute to this problem? The mower/engine is now 14 years old and the fuel pump is the original one.