Ditch the Thermostat?

how long has it been since you had the coolant flushed? there is a "mud" like sludge that builds up in the block between the outside of the cylinder walls in the coolant passages that can really reak habbit on cooling systems and can't be fixed with all the new parts you want to throw on it, also before installing the intake did you make sure the coolant passages had no restrictions that may not have got punched out? might be a cheap fix for you to flush the coolant. also theromostat helps engine get to operating temp quicker and not use so much fuel running cold