great to hear it.  you are so right, that something like that can really get to you and it winds up being a simple solution. 

Way to go Dude. Makes a lot more sense than a little teflon tape on the sensor. Always remember to bleed out air when filling system.

What do you do to bleed it out? My uncle always said to run it a few mins with the rad cap off....

Hum, sounds just like what my unlce used to do.....

If you drill a small, 1/8" hole in the flat surface of the thermostat, it will allow you to fill the system with no problems, as this will create an "air bleed". You'll find that most thermostats you buy today have this hole, just for this reason.
The old method of running till the 'stat opens, then filling the radiator is a tried and true way to do it. It's also a good idea to have a recovery system, as this will let the engine take in what it needs as you drive.
Glad you got it fixed!!!

Is there a down side to wiring these fans directly to the ignition,thereby the fans are running 24/7?

More wear & tear on them, as well as the alternator/charging system, for one. Plus, they don't really need to be running all the time.
At road speed, you can have enough air coming thru the rad. to actually fight against the fans, trying to spin them faster than they normally turn. This can create undue stress on the fan motor(s).
A better set-up, if you don't want to go with the temp. activated method is to just wire them thru an "On-Off" switch and relay, but you have to make sure the fans are on when they need to be on...

I highly recommend using the temperature sending unit for the fan setup as the source of power for the fans.  I have dual spal fans in the 69 Corvette and the 69 Camaro.  The sending units for both cars are installed in the intake manifolds.  Some people wire them separately to come on and go off at diferent temps.  Both of my fans are run parallel.  They come on when they are needed (200) and shut off when the temp is below 190.