Put your concerns to rest. So long as you have sufficient space for the filter to mount up without chafing or rubbing any part of the machine (that could damage the filter body) you will be OK. As pointed out above, having an "anti-drain back" valve (check valve) incorporated into the filter is important. I personally think it is also important that the filter media be of a "waterproof" material (and Wix, to name one, uses waterproof media). ALL internal combustion engines produce water as a byproduct of the combustion process. During "cold start up", a significant volume of this water gets past the piston rings and into the crankcase where it becomes entrained into the lube oil. Usually this is a "temporary" condition as the water is later evaporated back out of the oil as the temperature of the engine and lube oil rises higher than the point where liquid water can exist. This phenomenon does not normally have any effect on filter media that is NOT WATERPROOF, especially in air cooled engines (because of their characteristic higher operating temps), as the water in the oil never remains there long enough to soften or weaken the filter media to the point of "matting over". Cold engines that are started up and shut back down without the engine ever reaching operating temperature are the ones most likely to suffer from water induced filter degradation (or failure). Liquid cooled engines that have a defective head gasket can have water contaminated oil before the complete failure of the gasket makes the defect apparent "otherwise". Liquid cooled engines that are operated with the thermostat removed (or stuck open) will also suffer more from this type of degradation because the engine "runs too cold" for longer time before heating up enough to evaporate the water from the oil. "Matting" of the filter media occurs if the (non waterproof) fibers of the filter lose some of their "structural strength" due to becoming pliable when they absorb water. As the fibers settle (pack down) on top of one another, or swell up in diameter, the filtration rating will increase (catch smaller debris) temporarily. It is "temporary" because once it gets "matted", it can no longer flow the same volume of fluid it was intended to. As the matting effect increase, the filter bypass valve will unseat, allowing some unfiltered oil to "bypass" the filter media altogether. A matted filter might bypass oil during a cold start up due the the inability of the media to flow the viscous, cold oil, and then resume filtering the oil once the oil warms and "thins out". Matting can also lead to tearing or rupturing of the filter media, which then allows some of the trapped debris, and sometimes, bits of the filter media, to be transported out of the filter and into the very engine components that are are supposed to be protected by the filter. Oil filter manufacturers (that use non-waterproof media in their oil filters) hide behind the disclaimer "it's an oil filter, not a water filter" to defend their choice of materials, and (hopefully) for most folks, the fine detail of "waterproof versus non waterproof" media will never become an issue.

I too have an Ariens Snow Thrower with a Tecumseh engine. I am a mechanical schmuck -- my father was an aircraft mechanic and I picked up more than a few things from him in the past but by no means am I an expert when it comes to these little engines. I have a kid that is a highly trained motorcycle repairman. I have a brother who used to service Hueys. My snow thrower ran like a top for 2-3 years -- no problems. Two years ago it started to surge -- this problem progressively got a bit worse. My snow thrower use has been quite limited all things considered. My first thought was the carburetor. My son and I disassembled the cowlings and detached the carb. Suffice to say it all looked like it was new. (it should have looked like new -- probably operated less than 20-30 times total). Ian rebuilt the carburetor. New gaskets/seals. Net effect: Nothing changed -- nothing at all. My brother suggested running straight sea foam (higher octane) -- this too failed to improve things a bit. Then my brother suggested we spray gas (with a spritzer) on various areas on the assembly while the engine was running -- if the surging stopped, that would suggest there was an air leak. I told him he was certifiable -- spray gas on a hot manifold??? Well after much argument, we sprayed carb cleaner as previously suggested with the engine running and low and behold, the problem resolved -- temporarily. Spraying the front of the carburetor seemed to get the best results. So it appears the problem is an air leak. Why would an air leak manifest over three years after purchase? An air leak will make an engine run lean. Wonderful! Now I have one more issue to resolve. Where the heck is the air leak? (bangs head on the desk). Nope, I cannot identify this new phantom. Sorry, I didn't solve your problem here but this is a real issue, it is not the choke, the carb, the old gas, or many other of the well intentioned suggestions. It is likely caused by an air leak. Now if anyone can tell me how to identify this air leak I would be most appreciative and I suspect others might benefit from information of that nature as well. I got a bad feeling that I will have to replace the entire carburetor -- just bet this is a manufacturing defect. mjc

you mention 'clutch' so I am assuming that you have a manual transmission. And now, I am confused by the question. "If I am sitting at a stop sign or a light and keep one foot on the clutch and then give it gas when I start, the car does ok." Isn't that the normal way to get get the car moving? I presume that you meant start moving when you said start, and not start the engine. I am also assuming that you also begin to let out the clutch to get the car in motion. Now comes the part I am wonder about: " But if I just press the gas, it sputters and jerks." Is the clutch fully depressed, or did you suddently fully release the clutch (causing the engine to sputter and jerk)? Or maybe the transmission was put into neutral, the clutch let out and then it misses when the throttle is depressed. Another thought along a different track: Does your car have an interlock on the clutch, i.e., the clutch must be depressed to engage the starter. I would think that such an interlock merely prevents the starter motor from being energized, and does not affect the ignition. But if such an interlock also kills the ignition, that part may not be functioning properly. [you can tell by now that I have no information about the Miata, but am guessing.] Let us know what you find.

About mid-evening last Monday I was feeling chilly, checked the thermometer - it was about 60 degrees F. Checked the furnace, pushed the button to restart - nothing. Checked oil tank - at the bottom! Set an electric heater to operate in bathroom and kitchen, as it was about 15 degrees F. outside. Went to bed, with an extra blanket. Had a meeting Tuesday morning, visited son, borrowed an electric heater - for basement. As house was chilling - didn't want any frozen water pipes! How ... was ... I ... going ... to ... ask ... landlord ... (troubled as he is by arm in a sling from snowmobile accident almost a year ago and in pain) ... that ... I'd ... let ... the ... furnace ... run ... out ... of ... oil ... --- AGAIN! Piled on blankets, enough that they made me sweat ... then pulled off several on toward morning, to alleviate the sweating - as who wants to run around in sweaty clothing in a cold house! A while ago, when he oil line had allowed air to get in, I was able to open a valve by the pump to let the air get pumped out, then close it when oil spurted out. Tried that ... it pumped some air, then oil, so I closed the valve and the fire started ... ... ran for part of a minute ... and went out. Opened the valve, some more air came out, then oil, closed it, the fire started again. After a couple of such results ... the fire started ... and kept going. Has been going since. I've been away from 10:15 this morning till now, 7:45 ... but am almost 100% sure that the house'll be warm when I get there. So - I'm about 15 degrees of thankful. That ... my house is full of hot air, again (no comments, please!). And ... that I don't have to presume upon my landlord's good nature, to clear up the results of my heedlessness. I'm deciding that, in the cold weather, I'd better contract with myself to check the level of the fuel in the tank on the first and the fifteenth of each month. At our church's annual meeting on Sunday, the minister had said something about the church being somewhat chilly on some days of the week ... so I slipped over to her husband to ask whether it was mainly full of hot air on Sunday ... ... and he looked at me and solemnly said that, "Yes, it was". ole (warm) joyful