I've read your posts, here are a few cooling ideas:
1. Squirrel cage fans: These things are ideal for being ducted in tight spaces, the graphic cards folks love them. I've also used them (as suction fans) on horizontal heatsinks -- the updraft design is not ideal, but not horrible either, and lets you route the exhaust very easily.
2. If you're stuck with the provided coolers, and are running the gear at home, with the cover off, consider rotating the front boards 180 degrees (actually, just swap the fans to the other side), so the fans are blowing out of the front & inhaling from the center. You'd have to also flip the front case fans (if any), so they're blowing out. Scrap (probably unbolt?) the new case divider baffles.
3. If the rates are going up as fast as they are now, it's important to have the absolute minimum of initial downtime, so simple fan-flips (and the push-pull fan arrangement you've mentioned) sounds like the way to fly
Thanks crumbs. When you say "squirrel cage fans" I assume you mean the blower type fans like on the reference ATI GPU's? I must agree these fans are awesome (I have some 7970's with this system and it is great)
Those would definitely work, but that seems a costly and time consuming solution, and as you mention, downtime is a big deal...
It's all pie in the sky right now until they actually deliver but thanks again for some good ideas!
(*edit*) - on second read, I would likely go with your option #2. remove the case , flip the fans on the first 2, and remove the front intake fans and position them above the gap in between the front and rear hashing units to supply fresh air.