Water temp gauge - reads hot

[Ken Strayhorn <ken@dukecomm.duke.edu>]

Friends -

The water temp gauge in my '72 Spitfire IV reads hot - as in all the 
way against the peg on the right side of the gauge.

The water - as tested with a candy thermometer after a run - is 180 
degrees F, pretty good here in the hot and humid South.

Where do I start to find the fault? The Haynes manual says only to 
"replace defective units as they are not repairable." I'd hate to 
replace the sender, gauge and stabilizer all at once!

Thanks in advance,

Ken Strayhorn
Hillsborough NC