Good morning,Leave the connector unplugged, pinch the fuel line just before the carb, using a thin 1\2" open end wrench, remove the solenoid. Gas will spill from the carb bowl. Catch it. If possible, leave the carb bowl in place.
On the end of the solenoid is a little plunger. Many have rubber tips. Using side cutters, cut the plunger off close to the body of the solenoid. Reinstall the solenoid in the card and snug it in. Try to start the engine. It should run.
You can use it this was or replace the solenoid. These are installed to prevent backfiring, or run-on, after the key is turned off. My Toro machines backfire even with them in. If so, just lower the idle speed before shutting off.
I don’t disagree with dwzkd, however I don’t go to quite those lengths. If you don’t have a problem with an afterfire (which doesn’t damage anything, just a loud noise as unburned fuel dripping into the hot muffler), simply eliminating the solenoid is the way I do it. I do this at least a half dozen times a year for my customers.It looks like the connector part of the solenoid came loose with the harness side. Remove the solenoid side of the connector and look at the pins/terminals for damage (black, shorting, etc). Use an ohm meter and verify the ground in the connector is connected to ground and that the power (likely white wire) has +12v when the key is in the run position.
If you get 0v, check for a fuse in the harness somewhere. If it checks good, you should be able to replace the solenoid.
Make sure that the terminals in the harness side are getting a tight connection to the new solenoid. I assume the solenoid will have male spade terminals. You may be able to pinch the harness side to get a better connection.
Let us know how it goes...
Wouldn't a chaffed wire, before going to the fuel solenoid, melt there at the chafe rather than at the carb plug?They are easy to replace, but I have my doubts that it is the cause of your problem without testing it first. I would check the wires going to the solenoid first, looking for a spot where the insulation is rubbed through.