The gurgling was somewhat normal on my first setup (same as yours). It was fairly normal for me throughout the time I used the EVOD style. Nothing ever splattered into my mouth so I just dealt with it.
I would check all the contact points. Normally when you get heat in a metal part it is because of a dirty/loose contact point. Make sure everything is snug(not tight) and clean. Get a q-tip and put some alcohol on it and clean all screw contacts outside the tank. It does not sound like anything is broken, just needs some normal maintenance. I clean my whole setup once a week.
I would check all the contact points. Normally when you get heat in a metal part it is because of a dirty/loose contact point. Make sure everything is snug(not tight) and clean. Get a q-tip and put some alcohol on it and clean all screw contacts outside the tank. It does not sound like anything is broken, just needs some normal maintenance. I clean my whole setup once a week.