Honda HRR2168VKA Fuel in Oil/Flooding problem

Hi..first time poster and almost at the end of my patience.

Ive been having an Fuel in the oil and flooding problem ever since my Step father in law gave me this mower. 
 
Symtoms:  Starts up right away after I open the Pet Cock (fuel shut off)....I run the mower till the bag is full.  I stop the mower to empty the bag.  When I get back to start it...it's flooded and back fires.  I have to proactively shutoff the Pet Cock during mowing to drain as much fuel out of the carb as possible so by the time I stop it to dump the bag...it wont flood when I try and restart it.  If I leave the Pet cock open the whole time it floods and I have to shut it off and pull like 10 times before it finally gets going again.  The mower runs fine if I just keep adjusting the Pet Cock on the fly and shut if off a couple of minutes before a bag change.  I am running fully synthetic oil in it...but read that as long as you have the right weight it wont allow fuel to bypass the cylinder to the oil.  
 
I think i've finally tracked the problem maybe to a bad float (maybe) or needle.  The problem on this model is there is no metal float switch adjustment as the float and needle holder are completely plastic.  Also the Seat for the needle is build into the carb.  
 
How can you tell if you need to replace your float switch needle?  Is there a way to test it?  I used an air compressor to see if it would stop the air (at very low pressure) and it did.  But I can't tell if the float is creating enough pressure on the needle to seal off the carb when it's full (or at the correct level).  If the carb gets "full' will that effect a running mower....it seems to run just fine until I stop running it!?  
 
I also found that my Pet Cock valve is leaking as it leaks one drop every 11 seconds or so when closed.  Could this be part of the problem?  I'm going to replace that anyway but was wondering if I should try and order a new needle and float....it seems they are 'popluar' items....and are not cheap.  By popular I mean in high demand because they probably need replacement all the time.  
 
Finally I've run gas with ethanol in it before..but finally switched to pure Gas lately.....I've wondering if that has been a problem as well...but I clean my carb a lot so that never has seemed to be a problem.  
 
Thanks for any help!
 
Beau
 

I agree with AVB the carburetor is a cheaper repair. They go  for less than 15 all day.

Of course there is no blue smoke ....so oil isn't getting past the Piston rings.....so maybe its not that either?    Bottom line is too much fuel is getting to the cylinder.......which still points to a carb problem.  ugh!  I don't know.  probably just take it in at this point.  
 
Is there any fine tuning i could be doing to the carb be sides messing with the idle screw?  Maybe these carbs just suck....can I go get an after market carb?
 

yeah I agree.....but a brand new Carb?  I'm pretty sure my tanks/lines are clean....what would that have to do with it?  Debris blocking the needle from functioning properly?
 

Looks clean (hard to see exactly).....carb bowl is clean too.  Still you would think it would work properly to a point that the needle got stuck open?  Which it consistently has had the same problem.  This carb sucks because the float and needle holder are all plastic....so you can't really "adjust" the holder to apply more pressure to the needle and seat.  Seems a like a waste which such a good engine....idk.  This might be a Small Engine shop fix.....

  

A badly adjusted carburetor can send too much gas into the carburetor, and the overflow will eventually wash down the cylinder walls and into your oil pan. Since you do not have any adjustments the problem is the flooding into the engine. This is why you have gas in the oil.
This also tends to foul the  plug.Thus, one way to check for this problem is to pull  the spark plug and look at it.
The tank and the lines need to be thoroughly cleaned. To remove the gas tank you have 3 10mm nuts. This will remove the starter and the gas tank. Unhook the fuel line. I do not care but wash that guy out. Take it to the sink use water, but CLEAN it out. Change the gas lines also.
I have never seen the material for the Hondas break down, but change them anyway.
You can bench test a carburetor bu hooking up a fuel line and turn it upside down and try to blow some air from your mouth. It should not go through. Then put it in the regular position and it should allow air to pass.

Haven't tried just opening the petcock when not running......that would isolate the float switch as the problem i guess. 
 
It's probably time for a fuel line change and tank cleaning anyway.......should I order the fuel lines online or will a hardware/automotive place have that type of fuel line?
 
I did the air test on my last carb and it past.  Used an air compressor on very low PSI (10 or less I can't remember) and it blocked the air....idk?  

Any luck on this repair? I have the same issue and am waiting to get a new carburetor. Thanks.

No real backfire. Just after running for a while it won’t restart due to what appears to be flooding. When I start it initially it does seem to go full throttle, ease back a little, but still sit at a higher RPM than I would expect. A neighbor of mine says it’s the float switch so I’m gonna replace the whole carburetor since it’s only $17 straight from Honda. I have a second mower just like it and when I start it there is a distinct difference in the sound. I’m gonna let my neighbor get a crack at it and see what other troubleshooting he can do before the replacement carburetor gets in. I’ll keep you posted.