Something doesn't sound right because they don't likely mold the tank with the sensor in place. I assume the tank is roto-molded plastic. If that is the process, pieces are attached to the outside of the mold, the plastic powder is in the heated rotating mold and ends up with the bits molded into the plastic. Then holes are machined in the plastic for things like e sending unit. If that is the case you should see the sending unit as a somewhat round piece of metal secured to 6 to 8 bolts threaded into a flange in the molded plastic. If this is the case, you can pull the sending unit and examine the float. Floats I have seen in the past years are solid but made of a very light material. I have seen a sending unit installed clocked to the wrong hole set in the flange. This caused the float to wear against the tank and being of light material, resulted in enough wear so the float wouldn't float anymore. My Ranger is older than yours and I am away from home so I can't check it now.