Bad Coolant Temperature Gauge

Is it possible to replace the coolant temp. gauge in an '02 GT without replacing the rest of the cluster - to avoid tampering with the odometer?

If not, what best aftermarket gauge would you recommend installing to replace a bad temp. gauge? I want to make sure I get a good one so that I don't have to mess with it again. I can't afford anything over $50.

Thanks!

I beleive it has to be the whole cluster. I am not sure if there is a way to tap into the system to put an aftermaket sensor on there. Not much you can do for under $50

My question is how do you know for sure the instrument cluster temp gauge is not reading properly? Be careful going with diagnostics from scan tools that show temperature that are not properly calibrated or compatible. The only scan tool that is really accurate is a GM Tech 2.

Was the coolant temperature sensor resistance checked for calibration based on ambient temperature?

A mechanic at the dealership at which I work used an infrared thermometer to measure the temperature of the thermostat housing. He obtained a temperature of about 194 F on the housing, while the gauge read 230-240 F.

Another mechanic later used his scan computer to measure the PCM coolant temperature - that was 201 F.

Both mechanics concluded that it was probably my gauge. One said that it wasn't too surprising for GM clusters to fail. I would have liked to see if I could repair the gauge individually, but the consensus seems to be that it isn't possible. If anyone thinks otherwise, let me know! I'm not afraid of detailed, time-consuming work to repair this gauge without tampering with the odometer or buying a new gauge.