Bishop, send me a PM if you want me to send you pictures of the installation. Pictures sometimes help, particularly if you are frustrated.

Is your filter canister an AC version? It has probably lost its decals and original paint over the years, but you can check out this link to identify--

http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/engines/oil%20filters/index.html

As stated above, the inlet is on the side of an AC canister, the outlet on the bottom.

There are other aftermarket canisters out there (e.g. Fram) that sometimes had both the inlet and the outlet on the bottom...plus some had a threaded bung for a drain plug. On these canisters, the outer hole on the bottom is usually the inlet, the inner hole the outlet. If you have one of these canisters and can attach pix of both the inside and the outside, I am sure that other 'bolters can help you to sort it out.

If you don't have an AC canister with the side inlet but want one so that you can be sure that the installation is bulletproof, send me a PM and I can probably find one for you.

Good luck,

Matt