Thanks everyone for the ideas.
Crank sensor seems to have the most votes, and I'll get that checked. Von, the Cat Converter went at 72K and was replaced. The waranty on that part is 75K. Got lucky there.
Derek, the ignition coil sounds like a good idea, since this started (I think) right after I messed with the distributor, wires and plugs. Electrical parts.
I'll also as the mechanics to check the vacuum line(s) Rob and Bird, and the O2 sensor. That was what my brother in law thought, but two shops said the computer would have caught it. JonE, I'll mention the throttle position sensor too, though I have no idea what it is.
RCH/Ray, and everyone, here's the real kicker. Like you Ray, a motor mount was the dealers first guess, 40k miles ago, and they were fine. But after today, they may not be./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif Got loose in 6" of slush on a gentle downhill left bend, in Eden, VT (Pete's neck of the woods). Was going ~25 with another car coming in the other lane, plows hadn't made the road two full lanes, and my right front wheel went into the thick stuff on the shoulder which started to gutter me to the bank. Corrected left and tapped the gas to get out of the crud. Stupid move! should have gone front end into the bank at 25mph. Between the slope and tapping the gas, I was too fast. The front kept going left, and I lost traction trying to get strait. Jeep started <font color=green>accelerating</font color=green> down the slope in a slow counterclockwise spin. Corrected a few times and actually got past the curve to a slightly uphill strait, but ultimately in a full slide with my front drifting into the oncoming lane. Probably 40mph by now and snow too thick to see if there was anybody in that lane. <font color=red>Accepted that I was gonna crash at this point!</font color=red> Figured better my side's bank than head on with oncoming traffic, so I turned into the slide, tapped the gas, but couldn't catch it before I reversed the spin and went past strait putting the passenger side front wheel into a foot of crud on the right shoulder. That kicked the back completely around, and into the embankment. Went up the 5' snow bank left rear corner first, flipped onto my side, and slid back down facing backwards, with my front end several feet in the road.
Ray, you'll love this (I read your bio), I was on my way up to Newport, VT to examine any patients with +PPD's in the prison there, to make sure none had active tuberculosis. It's become a media issue, because we had three possible conversions to + this month, on routine checks, so I didn't have any choice but to make the trip. Anyway, I climbed out the passenger door (boy is that heavy), and a towtruck flipped the car upright. Drove to Newport and saw all the patients. One acute bronchitis, but no active TB, and just now got home. Tired, sore, and very bummed that my previously beautiful Jeep is now quite squished. Not gonna get away with just an ignition coil or crank sensor anymore!
Thanks again for all your advice. I filled it up with 87 octane in Newport. It runs better again, but it's still very rough under any load at idle rpm's. I'll post any results on the ideas you gave me when this is all fixed.
Drive safe everyone.
Todd
