Well, Ill try not to get her so hot again.. I will (when I get back into town) go to autozoo and the battery tested.

I had been planning to upgrade the alternator this summer anyway along with most of the associated wiring. I will be adding grounding straps and with a bigger alternator, I hope I wont have a problem anymore.

If my battery was dead, would it start anytime when not so hot (like it does now?)

I still have my old starter (the bosch rebuild was a very nice gift from the owner of european autoparts) and I think the only thing wrong with it is the solenoid... would it be a good idea to get a new solenoid and replace it on one of the two good starters I have?

Would it be benificial to try to block heat from the starter somehow? an extra heat shield maybe? or what about those aluminum/fiberglass covers they have would that help?