so I need to put a water temp gauge on.....so whats better for our application, mechanical or electrical. probably going to go with Equus gauge

I run electrical on my three machines.
Would seem to me to be an easier install.
Have had no issues with mine.

yeah that's what I was leaning towards

So I got a electric gauge. But can’t seems to get it to work. Says the sensor needs to be grounded. But when do that it just goes full hot. My sensor is in the bottom of my aluminum radiator. Gauge has power ground and and sensor wire. What am I missing.

Your aluminum rad is mounted in rubber mounts probably.
This won't allow the sensor to seek ground.
Run a temporary wire from battery ground to the rad just to test this.

I have run into similar problems with my gauges.
One was that I had to much Teflon on the threads of the sensor and then I had another issue on another machine where the gauge a I had did not come with a sensor. I used one that I had in a junk box but it turned out it was the wrong resistance.

Ok so I just warmed the oddy up. And if ground just the sensor to the frame it works. Now how do I make that permanent

Got it working. Civic rad has small bolt ends already tapped. Easy way to ground rad to frame