when you say "you took off the temp gauge" i would assume that you removed the gauge face. there should be no reason to remove the gauge face. the new face should just go right on top of the old one. i would guess that when you removed the needle that you broke the very small shaft that it attaches to. they are very fragile. to fix it, you will need to get another gauge. the new faces should have a hole in the center that is big enough to fit the needle through. put the pointed end of the needle in the hole (from the back side of the gauge) first. slide the face down the needle, very carefully!!!!, until you can work the other end of the needle into the hole. lay the face on top of the old face and secure it. thats it. take your time and be very carefull.