Heater Core Deletion

[rico7769]

I have seen a few threads on removal and deletion instructions for a heater core but I have a question regarding the performance once it is gone. I want to clean up the look under the hood and patch the holes with a delete kit to get ready for paint. My question is "will it affect the temp or any engine performance due to cooling?" I know it functions to dissipate the heat as a "small radiator" but primarily provides the heat for the blower in the cab. I've read I can plug the water pump and intake or reconnect the hoses but I don't want to affect anything mechanically. Anyone tried it and had pos/neg effects?