Also were you running a circulating pump on front of motor as well? Just curious since i will be and im assuming your pressures were ok?

Bravo drive. Mercruiser seawater pump. and a crossover.. Actually the circulating pump helps reduce water pressure issues as opposed to a crossover.

How is that? Reducing pressure that is?

Had also thought that since ill be spinning this motor a touch over 6k rpm that i could use the 3/8npt fitting on top of the tstat housing that would be used as a by pass to run a hose down to the heater take off plug that is on top of the water circulating pump to reintroduce some of the warm water theough engine again and relieve some potential pressure at higher rpm? Not sure if thats 100% necessary though.

Boatally. One last thing. Im almost positive i can make the reducer work exactly like i need and temp i need only if the oressures you originally had were to high. Otherwise i may be slightly high on pressure possibly

this is the setup you want. clean, simple, and stock mercury. works good. http://www.ebay.com/itm/MERCRUISER-T...ZW~InO&vxp=mtr

Ended up going with stock front accessories and new stick water circulating pump and going to run a thermostically controlled oil output to my remote tube oil cooler (212*) and run no tstat with a reducer in the new billet hardin housing and will dial in temp so it runs around 140*. Motor is on dyno as we speak and is being dynoed at 140* also.