i've had my 91 aerostar for about 6 months now, and i can confidently say that the heat is normal. i also have a chevy dually with a 454 and it gets nowhere near as hot as my aero*. it's just such a small space for the heat to dissipate, esecially with half of the engine underneath the vehicle. with a normal vehicle, i.e. a car or truck, there is a lot more surface area of the hood, so when you pick it up, it can vent the heat a lot more quickly and over a larger area, with a van that has a small hood, when you open the hood, the heat comes out of the small area, which effectivly acts as a funnel to vent the heat straight up into your face.