Need help with fuel gauge not working?

I fixed my wife's Dart, didn't pull the dash cluster. Just did it blind. Ran a wire from the kick panel, up to the back of the gauge, then used a crimp on female blue end to plug it to the gauge post, skipping the cluster board altogether. Never took the dash out, been working for 2 years....agree with redfish, got bumped/broken pin when doing the wiper seals.
I also had to run power from the gauge next to it (not the amp gauge, one with a voltage limiting side of the gauge) to power it. Hers must have had 2 broken pins on the board, or the power side trace was burnt out.
Try the gauge wire first. You can do it with alligator clips & paper clips and a scrap piece of wire to test it.
I just did a 69 Cuda with the cluster out. Bunch of issues with the pins and plug.You can solder the posts back on, but fun putting the dash back in and not breaking them again. I had a spare broken cluster for pins. Used cut paper clips inside the pins to hold the broken pins together while I soldered them.
At that point, buy the new e-pop board. It can also be just the connections at the plug and pins, if you go in that deep. Plug holes may be stretched. They can bent made smaller with tiny screw driver. Use contact cleaner on the pins and in the plug when you put it back together
P.S. Restore the dash if you take it out, unless it's nice already. Cut the lens out, and super clean it. Then touch up the needles. You can JB weld the lens back in.