Premature starter death

[slapnpop]

I have gone through 3 starters in under 2 years. All of them died from oil getting into the selenoid. Best as I can tell, this is happening when changing the oil filter, which is right above the starter. Is the original ford starter sealed to protect against this? Is there something I'm overlooking? Was there some sort of splash guard there that the original owner of my car took off? changing starters every 6 months is no fun, especially since the selenoid goes out with no warning, and the things have to be ordered.

 

[Ishodu]

The only thing you can do to keep oil off the starter is to make your own splash guard. I used and old washer fluid jug and cut it just right so that the oil runs off the end of it. Some people just cover the starter with a plastic bag too. You could also drill a small hole in the bottom of the filter and let it drain like that before removing it.