AArrrggghhhhh......

So I figured out possibly why the autochoke on my '61 Johnson 40hp carb wasn't working. The last person to play with it cranked the spring so tight, that when I pulled out the last bolt, it snapped me in the thumb - hard at that. I continued breaking down the carb... the two little screws securing the choke plate were crossthreaded into the shaft. And the heads were flattened somehow so a screwdriver wouldn't go into them. Needlenose visegrips were needed... and then one breaks to boot. Very frustrating to say the least. But it's all apart and just waiting for the kit.
Does the brass housing for needle need to be taken out to clean or to replaced?
Please have a quick peek at the photos, especially the last one showing the float and needle seat.
Seeing as I don't have the carb kit, I don't what it all entails.
Thank you.