We have an older ( 8 to 10 years old) Craftsman lawn tractor that suddenly quit. I checked everything I coulod think of and found the air filter was bad. Thinking I could try and start it without the filter, it started but shot oil out through a port in the breather housing area. Replaced the filter with a new one, now it starts, smokes like a bandit and dies. Any help will be appreciated greatly.

The air filter needed to be on for proper engine compression. When you ran it without the filter you let oil enter parts of the engine where oil should not be. You could have a nasty repair bill in your future. Don't keep starting it unless someone on here gives you a good fix.

You need to replace the OIL BREATHER which is not the AIR BREATHER. This is usually located on the side of the engine with a tube coming out of it. It is replaced externally.

Kiss, is correct. The oil breather, a.k.a. crankcase breather is either dirty, or damaged. Follow the tube that comes into the air filter where the oil entered the air filter's housing and where that tube meets the engine is the oil breather, a.k.a. crankcase breather or vent.