For those of you not also participating on the "other" list; attached is
the flow data measured during my 20B dyno run with (full open) and
without the thermostat.  Considerably higher flow without.  Higher flow
= better cooling.  

Al
----------------

Thanks for passing that along Al.  BTW, nice looking numbers on the 20B.
Thanks also to Bill for passing along your experiences.  I'll be interested
to hear if the temps go back down without the thermostat.    

I took another look at the hole that needs to be plugged, and it looks
pretty easy to tap, especially now that everything is open, and dry.  I'm
now thinking that I'll try the engine first without the thermostat, since my
first runs are going to be on the ground, where cooling will be marginal
anyway. If all goes well with the ground runs, I'll make the first flights
without the thermostat as well, and hope for the best.  Again, I'm trying to
avoid overheating on that first climbout, when the workload will be pretty
high already.  

I was reading some of the RX-7 Club archives, and it just amazes me to keep
reading the same old shop myths.  A classic is the one that says the water
will be moving too quickly to pick up any heat, so your car will overheat
without a thermostat.  We know better of course.  

Besides temp control, the other useful feature of the thermostat is to build
additional pressure in the block to raise the boiling point.  In our case,
we're running much higher pressure caps than the street engine, so we make
up for some of that.  

Rusty