Hi Frank,
I couldn't find your thread, it is up top above my scan. I just don't get enough time to look around at all the sites I am active on anymore.

High oil temps are caused by friction. Something is causing the heat and thinning will result. What kind of temps are you seeing in how much time?
I doubt the pump is the cause especially if it was in the previous version of this engine.
You mentioned a tight main bearing, How and why did one tighten? Even still if the crank spun free by hand with no tools on the snout it should be fine.
You mention no oil to the top end, this is not good. Is this both sides?
If the pressure gauge is after the filter and cooler. It would be nice to get one before the filter. Many are before the filter originally. This can help locate an issue but not all of them.
The thermo valve should not induce a drop in pressure, but if there is lack of flow in the cooler this will. As the thermo closes it forces flow through the cooler expecting little restriction.
This is where the value in this case of having say two gauges to isolate the drop in pressure.

You mention packing the oil pump with something, why? The days of using goo in the pump or Moly as an assembly lube are long behind us.
As soon as a pump is turned anything in it is displaced out into the passages blocking flow from the pump causing cavitation.
And if moly is used, that does not pass through a filter causing undue restriction forcing the bypass to open. A new engine is not a good time to have a filter in bypass.
Now I have not been able to read all the posts here so I may be barking about stuff I should not be. I should be back down in the shop trying to finish an EVO for this weekends event.