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Hi, riding lawnmower I have (approx 7 yrs old), engine would crank but not start -
drained old fuel, put in new fuel
cleaned the carb
took off top part of engine, cleaned air filter, etc.
I charged the battery

Now it starts, but chokes quite a bit, while I'm adjusting the choke level up/down - if I don't continue to do this it dies. It seems to run the smoothest when I have the lever in the low (slowest) position.

Also, this never was apparent before - now under the front part of the mower (that square metal thing that gets hot to the touch), underneath there is now oil which is spraying/coming out, smoking pretty good...I'm not seeing any cracked or broken hoses, etc.

Last Fall while using the mower, it ran rough (choked a lot), and I would always have to mess with the lever choke up/down to get it to run good.

Ideas on what would be causing the oil to come out upfront, underneath there?
What can be done to have it not "choke" so much?

I'm not a mechanic, just pretty handy with watching/reading instructions online

Thanks for any help/ideas here!

I have a few thoughts to what is going on, but will need you to post the engine model numbers so i can narrow down my ESP, as Rivets would say.

Most likely valve cover gasket leaking. Sure you have a Briggs and that is common. Probably need to soak your carb if you are having choke issues. And I would put new bowl gasket and needle / seat in it. Worth the twenty bucks