Fuel tank pickup tube question?

[Daves270]

I've been chasing down a fuel problem on my 1994 270 Sundancer.
I determined the source of my problem was air getting in the line from inside the tank at the top of the pickup tube. Naturally, this is in a very inconvenient spot to work on, with the water tank only 4 inches above the fuel tank. Anyway, I removed the pickup by using a pipe wrench, it came loose ok and came out, but when fully removed there was no plastic tube attached as I would have expected. Looking down into the opening using my cell phone camera I could see the plastic tube. There appears to be some stress marks, pitting, and tiny holes near the top of the tube, which verified my problem.
The top of the pickup, essentially a pipe elbow, did not seem to have any place to mount the tube, like a shaft or flange of some sort. The tube seems to be mounted inside the tank, having the same diameter as the pickup opening. Needless to say, this is not what I expected.

Should the tube have been connected to the elbow in some way?
Is the tube removable?
Can this be replaced with a Moeller universal pickup, P/N 033500-12?

Attached are some pics for reference.
Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

 

[Quint4]

Here is a few shots of the pick up tube from my 1992 290DA for reference:

 

[Quint4]

 

[Daves270]

Attached is a picture of the part I removed from the tank. There does not seem to be a flange for a tube to mount.
I tried to fish out the tube that is still in the tank using a wire with a hook bend on the end. I was able to hook the bottom of the tube, but it was not about to budge. In fact, the hook would not release. I could rotate the hook all around the bottom of the tube but had trouble getting it to let go. I pulled as hard as I could until the hook bent straight enough to release.
I was hoping it looked like yours Quint4.
Now I am hoping to make up something like yours. But, without a flange to mount the tube it is going to be difficult.
I checked HD today to see if any copper tubing or fittings would fit, but no luck. They didn't seem to have any fittings I could use in replace of my elbow either.
Anybody seen a pickup like this? The tube seems to be part of the tank.