gmcmurry:
My problem is that after a while (could be several days), the MAX232 will suddenly overheat. It gets so hot it will burn my finger. Then it will often die. I replace it and I am back in operation again.
These two things pop into my mind: capacitors or counterfeit.
I recall reading about lack of / wrong capacitors causing an RS232 chip to overheat; something about the voltage pump not working correctly. What I remember is a very incorrect schematic being posted to the internet that was frequently cloned without review. Post your schematic. Ensure your actual circuit matches your schematic. Carefully review the datasheet.
I can't remember any details about the second so I may be commingling unrelated things. But Google does return some hits...