Thanks Iain. After filling the tank, petrol did appear to flood between the join on the bowl. On the underside of the bowl is a screw head and a smaller screw with spring. Without fully removing the carb, can i undo the larger screw to remove the bowl, will this reveal a split diaphragm ? I just need to understand why petrol is being lost this way. Many thanks for your help so far.

Wayne, April 2009

Hi, i have just had the same thing on my mower, you have to remove the carb to get the bowl off on the Empress 16, it was the rubber on the inside of the bowl(on the other side to the spring) i just cut the lot off and braised it up, No more leak, It is only to empty the bowl of mucky fuel and to store empty. Problem solved, or so i thought, I now have the problem of putting the left over spring back in place, I have no idea where i took it off? so don't make the same mistake.
Good luck,

Dizzy jim, August 2010