Fuel Strainer Remove/Replace (250sx)

[bucket]

Getting a very slow fuel drip coming out of an 250sx tank I am restoring, looked inside with a flashlight and the fuel strainer (seen in this image, the straw that lives inside the tank) looks like it needs to be replaced. The petcock is off, and i removed a little rubber O-ring from around the strainer, anyone have a trick to getting these out ? Trying to put pliers on the inside of it and expanding them, tried getting some deep creep around the outside of it, grabbing with pliers etc she won't budge. Hoping to do it w/o damaging so i can try to clean it up and put it back ?

[350for350]

If it's coming off that hard, you probably won't be able to save it.

[AMK]

I wonder if you could find a wooden dowel rod slightly smaller than the od of the strainer and push it through. Then dig it out of the tank.
I just removed one from a 350x and it had swollen but i cleaned the hole and had enough room to press it back in.