1) The rubber tube that connects from the thermostat housing to the top of your radiator holds coolant. Coolant gets hot because of heat transfer between it and the motor, so it is normal for it to bulge and get hot.
2) Your heat shield over the exhaust mani might have been painted, and the paint might be wearing off...or it might just be getting rusty with time. It doesn't matter, just sand it with sandpaper or steel wool and it will become shinier again.
3) Lifter tick happens all the time. Mine sometimes stops when I get higher oil pressure going to the motor, but it's a constant, RPM related tick. You'll know it when you get crankwalk; and if you don't know it, you'll just have peace of mind until your car dies instead of being scared to death for months before your car finally dies