thanks fellows. my dad's masterpiece is now up and running and cutting. I replaced some fuel lines, but I removed the oil filter cover and there lay the villan....the little inline gas filter!!!! Dad had somebody work on this tractor last summer and he had put a new inline filter on it up near the carb, so I just assumed, lol I punched a hole in the wire screen and she is running great. I will not leave the filter like that if I can find a new one. Thanks again for all the input.......ister