A lift helps a lot. Be patient putting it back, because it can be difficult to seat the pickup in the bottom of the tank.
Make sure you use a brass or aluminum punch on the lock ring, to avoid sparks. Use a new O-ring if you can, and make sure it's not distorted under the flange of the sender. A little grease on the O-ring and the lock ring will ease installation. It can be pretty difficult initially to get all three ears of the lock ring engaged right, so be patient. An extra hand helps. Look at the lock ring, where the edges are tapered to engage the tabs in the tank. If those edges are rusty or blunt, you can refile them sharper, and it will also help.