Is the fuel filter installed the right way? I know there's an arrow on
the one I'm currently using. Likely that indicates direction of flow
so fuel actually gets filtered, but worth checking.

Yeah, with the inlet smaller than the outlet, it's practically impossible to install backwards, but I did check that, and it is correct. It always seems to be the "small" jobs that go wrong. When I bought this van, it had a locked up motor, seized from being run with no oil. I replaced that motor (a 1.9) with a 2.1, and that went really smoothly (Thanks again to Jim Thompson for his instructions). So, based on difficulty, my next job to do, replacing the timing belt and water pump on my daughter's New Beetle, should be a piece of cake!!     Jeff