Problems with tremolo arm

Would be great to get some advice:

I didn`t play my `62 Strat for some years now and started playing again some weeks ago. The tremolo arm wasn`t installed, so I put a new spring into the little hole and screwed the arm in. Somehow the arm didn`t feel right to me, so I decided to screw the arm out and remove the spring. But it didn`t get out of the hole. I had to use some special tools to get it out (what was very difficult) and when I finally solved that, the spring looked deformed.
Now I´m afraid to use a new spring again...
Are there different springs for the new Strats and the vintage Strats???