bubba,

ok the carb is drawing fuel to prime now, but you're still dripping fuel out of the needles. And when the engine starts, it just burns the prime and quits.........Correct?

Running on prime and quitting means lose of vacuum to operate the carb diaphragm..... or plugged carb........but the carb will draw fuel to prime....(real head scratcher) If the reeds have just been replaced, that shouldn't be it.

Needles dripping fuel.........I've never seen this on any 2 stroke I've ever owned. [:@] My one chainsaw with the o-rings on the needles had a bad o-ring once and would lean out and die. Drove me crazy finding it.

Any chance you got an extra carb laying around you could try?

Were's Ralph when you need him.