gotta tell you....it sure kept us busy for awhile.....
the symptoms were the result of two(maybe 3) issues all piled on top of one
another....
1- #2 spark plug wire had very high resistance, and the hood that screws on
the top of the sparkplug was jammed at a 45 degree angle in the end of the
wire...
(we didn't notice this until we started prying up rubber ends....)
we replaced that wire, correcting the plug hood position in the process.
2- the oxygen sensor was sending weak signals, which caused the engine to
run much too rich.
so, after fixing the spark plug wire, we disconnected the sensor, and the
car runs very well.
we've got a couple of spare sensors, so we're getting them off their
respective pipes (WD 40 and patience...we're in Maine: corrosion central)
and will replace thedead sensor with one that fuctions correctly...although
it is interesting thst it runs well without it...
3- we replaced the distributor cap, which seemed to have a bit of scoring,
and might have been a problem.
So thats it, for now.
thanks for all the help and suggestions!!
tamara