[496fe]

Maybe someone else has covered this, but the most important factor in cooling is not coolant flow, it is AIR flow. You need to be sure that every cubic centimeter of air entering the nose goes THROUGH the radiator, not around it. Plug every opening around the radiator, preventing any air from entering the engine compartment without going through the radiator. To test this theory, use duct tape for a temporay solution. Also make sure that all the air goes through the fan. You need shrouding for this to seal the fan and radiator. That Viper fan sounds like it's on the right track.

Don't get distracted by water flow - if it stays in the radiator a little longer, it just gets cooler while it's in there.

Sounds like you have all the mechanical stuff right.