'93 mustang 5.0 starter issue

This may be an easy one for someone to answer and verify for me. I have a 5.0 with upwards of 180k miles on it and it cranks up nicely when it's sat for a while. (over night, parked at work, etc.) However once you crank it and go even as far as the nearest gas station (10 minutes for me) you had better not shut her down or the starter is real sluggish and may or may not start the engine. The battery is good, the relay is probably the last thing I replaced within a couple of years save routine maintenance parts. I suspect the starter is getting hot but I don't know what the failure mechanism is. I know it hangs just a little once you release the key from the start position but only for a split second. It's marked to get replaced but I would like to know if (for sure) and why it gets hot while cruising.

Sounds like it is getting hot. This is often times refered to as heat soak. This happens more often on modified vehicles. Is the current starter the original? If so then its due for retirement. With the age of the starter, the heat of the engine bay may just be overwhelming. Pluss if it hangs even just a little then it is over-working itself which leads to early failure. You could have it tested but it would probably test good since it works fine when its cold. I say replace it.

Thanks. The starter is original equipment and I mistated the mileage. It's a little over 190k. (whats scary is the 280k miles on my 98 jeep grand cherokee alternator. Part of me wants to look at the brushes on the regulator, but if it ain't broke...) Back to the stang: I will retire the starter. It's overdue.

That would be the thing to do.