No water temp reading

[mikeringland]

I recently swapped my 350 for a 454 and I took the water temp sensor out of the 350 and put it in the 454. I am not getting a reading for some reason. When I crank the engine, it pins all the way to the right, then once the car is running, it just stays at the minimum, 100 degrees. It is a factory SS gauge cluster that I installed a few years back and it was working before the swap. Could the sensor have gotten damaged somehow just laying around? What else could it be?

[1970mcss]

Could it be a ground issue?

[DragCat]

^^^ That would be my first guess, harness or gauge issue. Isn't there a way to check the harness to the gauge? I know on the old blue ovals you can ground one lead and turn on the ignition and the gauge pegs full so you know that end is good. I think the bow ties are different tho 

[wallaby]

Same thing with chevys. The sender is a variable ground. No ground at all, the gauge goes one way, and a perfect ground sends the gauge the other way.

I have seen issues when teflon tape is used on the threads causing a poor ground. I have a thread sealant made of lead, made in the 50's...eco unfriendly, but works great as a conductor and an anti-sieze.