[metalstudman1]

The enrichment valve (auto choke as you call it), it's not a choke- it fully extends it's plunger without 12volt power to terminate fuel to the bowl and retracts when power is applied to allow fuel into the bowl. To test if it's functioning -simply remove it from the carb and power it with 12volts (if 1 wire only ground the body of the valve- if 2 wires then 1 is positive the other is ground, the plunger will retract when it get's power and will extend when removed from the power source. It's spring loaded for extension and a magnetic field pulls the plunger in. It's only function is to stop fuel from entering the carb after being turned off.I doubt it's failure would cause another electrical issue unless it got pinched or fused to another wire coming across the engine.
The diode burning out leads me to believe that it has a direct short from the stator to the regulator/rectifier, burnt up stator (one of the windings has gotten so hot a wire has burnt in two), lost a good ground causing the stator,voltage regulator to overload from arcing, or a connector not plugged in all the way getting foreign debris across the terminals causing a short.
The smell of fuel could be coming from the overflow tube in the carb- stuck float,stuck main valve causing the fuel to just overfill the bowl when key is on.
Sounds like you already have an idea of where & what to look at-hope this helps