You jeep has three fuel filters. At the tank there IS a pick up filter, this was described by the late great Grantville King as useful " for filtering Defunct Nazi's and bricks," It is very course not not very useful unless you are filling gas from jerry cans in a sand storm. Your next filter is the pone you probably know about, It is the replaceable can near your carb, I usually replace this once every year or so along with all my rubber fuel lines. I also put heat shrouding over the fuel lines to keep them from cracking. It is also important that you get the galvanized metal fuel filter and NOT THE CLEAR PLASTIC ONE The etenol that is added to gasoline now attacks the plastic, eventually it will split and run gas over your header and set your jeep on fire, having been through this, avoid it by changing out your fule lines and filter and DON"T USE THE PLASTIC ONE.
The third filter is inside most carbs, It is very fine sintered bronze but by the time gas to the carb it should ave little to knowing to filter out. If you are plugging this up you usually have bigger problems in the carb like plugged jets.
I suggest that you test your mechanical fuel pump, just take the hose of and crank the engine, Run the gas into a jar. (with out setting your jeep on fire) if you get fuel before your filter, then your problem is the replaceable fuel filter. If not then it is likely the mechanical fuel pump or a cracked fuel line. This is all pretty straight forward and the parts are cheap so I am sure you can do this in your drive way. The cracked fuel line can be a bitch though, There is no way to really trouble shoot that with out throwing your bod under the jeep and looking for leaks. You mechanical fuel pump should make about 11 to 13.lbs of pressure if not it is worn out or torn diaphragm. work backwards down the frame rails tracing the fuel lines with luck you will not have to drop the gas tank, There are rubber fuel hose between your fuel lines and gas tank that may be cracked or split as well. The non functioning fuel gauge is usually one of three things, a back ground, the hot wire slipped off the float mechanism or the float mechanism/ fuel pick up is bad and needs changed either because the Rheostat is bad or you have one of the newer replacement mechanism with a plastic float. If you change this out KEEP YOUR BRASS FLOAT and get rid of the plastic one. plastic+gas= problems, or maybe a am just traditional. If your jeep has been sitting for a long while i may have just collected moisture in the tank or even had the gas evaporate away. Add some dry gas along with some fresh gas but I would not add any gas until you are sure you do not have to drop the tank.
Before you start this operation, Does the Jeep start when you spoon gas down the carb throat? Will it keep running once its going?