What is this doing in there? (weird)
 

For a long time my gas gauge quit working and I traced it down to my sending unit. Today, as I was changing it, I found the float had a little gas in it. It was the stock one, but that wasn't why it wasn't working. I hit on the bottom of the tank, and heard a metal clink inside. Guess what I found?!

It was a huge old 5" spring!!!

Somehow, I think it got wraped on the arm and just never came off until I took it out.

What is this spring doing in there?

Is it one of the springs like they put on the end of a gas filler nozzle sometimes? Thats the only logical explanation I can come up with.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, it is about the right size, could be.