Fuel Fluke

I have removed all fuel filters before the carb cause I'm at wits end.... there is only a small brass filter near the carb is the only filter devise present.
If that filtration device is one of those sintered bronze things (looks like a bunch of tiny metal balls mashed together), I'd take it out and run a normal canister filter. They've aggravated starvation issues for me in the past. Just out of curiosity - if it is one of the sintered units, is it in the line on the pump side of the gauge?