I just got my friend to put in a new crankshaft due to a spun bearing but now I have a bunch of new problems I’m working out.

Currently I’m trying to figure out why my temperature gauge isn’t registering engine temp. I've replaced the coolant temperature sending unit and diagnosed the gauge to insure it works as the book recommends. When I start the car however it doesn’t get any reading even after running for 5 minutes. I checked the thermostat and confirm that its opens and closes just fine. What the hell am I missing here?????

 

And the car is ???
Is a barring something like an herring??

 

1998 3.8 L V6 automatic.

 

I would first suspect that you missed something and didnt re-connect something that was undone during tear down.

 

I decided to get a replacement thermostat since they're only like 10 dollars and discovered someone had drilled two small holes on either side of the flange. Why would somebody do this? Could this cause problems?

 

my guess is that maybe you should give it a bit more time to warm up 5 min is not alot of time to get an engine over 100 degrees just trying to save you the trouble of replacing things that dont need to be

 

yeah, it takes forever for mine to warm up. just give it more time to make sure.

 

Holy crap you only gave it 5 minutes? Dude, its not the sun, give it some time. That, and once its been running for a MINIMUM of 10 minutes, feel the upper radiator hose, if thats hot, then youve got coolant circulating and there is some other problem. First and foremost though, actually let it warm up before assuming something is wrong.