Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): Craftmen Snowblower Carburetor, carburetor linkage, fuel mixture

Question
First, let me say that I am knowledgable about small engines. My neighbor purchased a brand new Sears Craftmen 5/23 Snowblower, which has a 5 HP Tecumseh engine, five years ago.  He used the unit only once and that was the year he bought the unit.  He's given it to me and the fuel tank had fuel in it that was ruby red.  The carburetor linkage was inoperable and the inside of the carb was varnish coated.  The inside welsh plug was coated with little grains of something.  I soaked the carb in cleaner and used a strand of wire and a nylon tooth brush to get it clean.  It now starts immediately and the choke is working well.  The problem is that it will stall unless I keep the RPMs high and the fuel mixture rich.  I am thinking maybe I didn't get it clean enough and considering rebuilding the carb.  Any thoughts?  

Answer
Hello Len,
You did do a pretty good <a href="http://www.ntsearch.com/search.php?q=job&v=56">job</a> cleaning the carb as far as I can tell. What you could do is take the carb appart again clean it out again, and blow compressed air through all the small holes in the carb. Then soak the carb in gasoline instead of carb cleaner. Tell me how this works. You can find compressed air at any <a href="http://www.ntsearch.com/search.php?q=hardware&v=56">hardware</a> store.