63 temp gauge plug help needed.

[corvettegreg]

Helping a friend get his 63 back together for the summer. This seems like a simple question, but I can't find the answer in any manuals.

He has the dash apart to replace the lenses. Now that it is back together the temperature gauge doesn't work correctly. It appears if the 2 L shaped terminals which the harness plugs into can be installed backwards if you are not careful, and that would reverse the terminals with respect to the harness.

Looking at the back of the gauge, should the terminal plug....

look like a tent (^) where the terminals go down and inward from the mount screws;

or look like a vee (V) where the terminals go up and inward.

I checked my 66 and the terminal plug is rotated 90 degrees from the 63.

 

[cdr63corv]

just checked on my car and they are^ hope it helps

 

[corvettegreg]

thanks, it helps (but doesn't). That is how we have it installed in his car. I guess we have to look a little further at what went wrong.

 

[JohnZ]

Do the fuel gauge, ammeter, wipers, and dash lights work? If you forget to connect the black cluster ground wire on the back plate above the tach, almost nothing will work. Does the temp gauge work at all, or ??

 

[corvettegreg]

the ground wire is connected...I made that mistake before. All other gauges are working.

With key on, when wire at sender is disconnected, gauge drops to low temp pin. When wire is shorted to block, gauge climbs slightly (100 deg +/-) and stops.
I always thought shorting the wire should pin the gauge. Could he have moved the needle on the shaft when he was cleaning and touching up?

How would you recalibrate the needle other than setting sending unit in hot water at determined temp and removing / reinstalling needle to correct position.