Running without a thermostat ok?

Getting back to the original question by the OP....warning, this is a bit long, but I hope worth your while to read:

Yes flow rate does matter in heat transfer in the radiator. If flow rate did not matter at all, then we could have ZERO flow rate and still have heat transfer. We all know that is not the case.....The higher the flow rate, the higher the heat transfer rate. But it is not a strong relationship; doubling the flow rate does not double heat transfer rate. It increases it in ROUGHLY the range of 25-50%; depends on if the internal rad flow is laminar or turbulent.

So if you take out the thermostat, then will flow rate increase? Depends. The main restrictions are the t'stat, the rad, and the flow restrictions in the block-to-head coolant flow path. The rad is the least restictive so it is down to the t'stat or the block-to-head flow openings. Taking the t'stat out (I will guess) does not really change the flow rate a whole lot, because the block to head flow restrictions are still there.

But, there is one more factor to consider: that is local pressures in the coolant. There is obviously a pressure difference around the cooling system: it starts highest at the pump outlet and gets lower and lower as after passing through each restriction and is lowest at the pump inlet.

If the largest restriction is at the block-to-head restrictions, then there is a significantly lower coolant pressure after that restriction....i.e., inside the heads. This is the place where you do not want a low coolant pressure because most of the heat is coming into the cooling system in the heads, and it will have the highest likelihood of boiling at localized hot spots. Having the t'stat in place and partly closed moves the largest restriction to the t'stat, and the pressure in the head will be higher and less likely to have localized boiling points in the head's water jacket.

So, for that reason, keep the t'stat in place and operational. If you have ever read about people taking out the t'stat and the car getting hotter, then lower coolant pressure in the head may well be the culprit.

From a C&R Racing article that touches on this [italics are mine]:
"Pressure throughout the system will vary determineddue to different restrictions at each location in the system. The system will be at less pressure before the water pump than after it. However, system pressure willbe at higher pressure before the core and lower afterwards. These pressure differentials happen throughout the engine due to the changes in water passage cross section. Bernoulli’s equation explains this phenomenon well. The cylinder head is the location that needs the highest pressures to reduce boiling risks. "