I resolved how to get the bend I needed in the wire float arm. I just had to do all the bends in the vice, with no protection for the wire (from the texture of the jaw). It came up just fine. When the replacement float shows up (now for the RIGHT tank), the bend will be much simpler; more or less a 90 deg bend.
I spent another half hour figuring how I want to install the reinforcement plate and platenuts that will hold the sending unit mounting plate. It was getting late, so I decided to wait until tomorrow to tackle it.
