Temp gauge not working?

Personally, wouldn't go aftermarket. I like OEM stuff and the OEM look. But, that's me.
You might be able to gently, partially crimp the connector and get it to grip the stud better.
I would also test your gauge setup. First, by momentarily grounding the connector straight to the engine block. The needle should peg to the high (hot) scale.

The gauge raises at a fairly normal rate. If I hope in and drive into town it is warm in about the same distance as my other vehicles but the needle just stays at the halfway point.