Uphill Battle
coldwater
Crazy Sr. Respected Jeeper
Can the position of the filter, by itself, actually cause a sputter?
It's possible. It ca also cause hard starting due to fuel siphoning as well. Remember, it's a free run return line and if the draw is on the bottom fuel is just being shoved right through the line, possibly starving the carb. When the engine is off, it can siphon off fuel back to the tank.