It lived for an hour...headers and starter Question

[mhorning]

Ok guys, so I got my truck finally running today. You wouldn't believe the wiring nightmare the previous owner created. Anyways, I took it down the road on its maiden voyage. I knew I was low on gas, but I was lower than I thought. I made it about 2 miles before I ran out. Tank 2 was out too. So I called my wife, got gas and headed to my father's to show him that I can fix a Chevy (He's a VW mechanic.) So, I made it there without a hitch. He drove the truck a little. Then I got in the truck to head home and the thing cranked awefully hard. Now the battery is new and it was charging. The guy I bought it from claimed that the starter was new. Well, eventually after cranking the starter just stopped all together except the sound of the solenoid clicking. He said that this happened to him also and he claimed that the engine which is newly rebuilt was just "tight" and that it needed to wear in. Usually after it cools it will start again. Now that sounds odd to me. Instead, I'm wondering, can the headers get so hot that they cook the starter? There is no heat shield and the cylinder just above the starter has blown out it's exhaust gasket, so it gets pretty hot. I am wondering, have you guys with headers ever had to devise some sort of heat shield to protect the starter. Or am I just fishing? Thanks

Mike