>:(Well, I thought i was home free, but I think my engine is getting very hot. The temperature gage stays in the middle (not sure if I can trust it), but even after a short drive 10 miles, the engine cover is too hot to touch, and there are those ticks and cracks as the engine starts to cool, which I have not noticed before. The coolant level is OK, the radiator hoses are without any pressure, even though they are too hot to touch. Could it be that the water pump is not working? Or em I just panicking without any reason. I have once warped engine head because I have run a car (Mazda 323) without water (the water leaked out overnight and the temperature gage did not show any problems,as it was measuring air temperature I guess).
I am just bit on the edge, because the engine seems really hot. How can I found out if I am just paranoid, or if it is really overheating? I would not want to cook the thing. How can I found out if the water is actually circulating and cooling the engine?

Thanks

If your temp gauge is reading in the middle you should be fine. As summer starts the engine gets hotter, quicker. In my evo, on a hot summer day i could go on a 5 mile drive, shut the car off and literally burn my hand holding it over the vent on the hood. If you're still worried, you might want to think about getting an aftermarket water temp guage. These motors run hot, that's all there is to it.

Ok, thanks for that reassuring word, and it is hot here all year (I live in Dominican Republic, so it is in the thirties most of the times). However is there some way that I can make sure that the water pump is working - or that the water is actually circulating?
Thanks

Yes he is totally right, especially when the year seasons change things will be diffrent. After driving teh cam covers will always be extremelly hot , as for engine heat travels upward like all heat. So naturally teh cam covers as being part of the engine will be hot. As for now when driving in now when driving any of my cars especially my VR-S i hear the cooling fans cycle more frequentlly . If yu are worried about teh cooling , check the mechanical fan clutch , i wrote sumone how to test their fan in a post in this section not that long ago. There are other thermostatic viscous slip fan clutches available that kick in sooner and offer maximum cooling over the OEM.