What's the oil pressure at the main oil gallery fitting at the driver's side of the engine just behind the exhaust flange? If you don't know, find out. No oil at the filter line is NOT a good sign. Don't try to run the engine any more until you figure out what's going on. Has the distributor been removed recently? If it's not seated properly in the block, the engine will run but the oil pump won't turn.
How big are the oil lines going to and from the filter? If the engine is set up for "full flow" filtering, the oil filter canister will be very large, and there will be BIG metal lines going to and from the filter. A "bypass" filter will have a smaller housing, and small-diameter flexible lines at the inlet and outlet.
Jerry
