I guess it's time to give up on my lawn tractor

[theholycow]

4 years ago when I got my house, I bought a used Craftsman lawn tractor for $250. I have done various repairs to it, such as brakes that weren't working right; and I've ignored various problems, like the blades being very difficult to disengage.

Last year I began struggling with a smoking problem. I'm told it was caused by a solenoid in the carburetor which prevents the bowl from overflowing into the cylinder (then washing past the rings into the oil); the solenoid was definitely not working and the oil was overflowed and thinned with gas as I was told it would be. After installing a fuel shutoff valve, it was supposed to eventually clear out, but in the meantime it would smoke from residue in the exhaust. I mowed a few times and it kept smoking.

So, today I got it started and began mowing. As I was mowing, the small amount of smoke once again turned to belching smoke. I turned off the blades, thought for a second, then tried to re-engage the blades. The lever felt like it worked but the blades didn't start. I drove up to the backyard so I could work on level land and parked it, then opened the hood.

That's when I saw the fire.

I guess I'll give up on it.