Gas Tank Sending unit

[Roper]

On the tube of the sending unit that draws the gas from the tank there is a screen/filter. How important is this filter?
See im replacing my 15 gallon tanks with 20 gallon tanks. The screen on my old sending unit is shot. Also my 20 gallon tanks have bafles where the smaller tanks didnt have any. Because of the baffel the sceen is going to interfear with the fuel gauge. The baffel even interfears with the fuel gauge but I reshaped the fuel float so it wont interfear anymore.
Anyway I cut what was left of the screen off and im just about to put things back together. Do I need that screen?
Should I buy a new sending unit? The old one is 26 years old.