To all you guys who replied to my previous post about this: Thank you. You gave me some good ideas and helped focus my freaking-out, spiraling-out-of-control (with fear: $3000 to a machine shop for repairs, etc) mind.

Have pulled the belts, timing belt cover, etc. and have determined that it is not the timing belt. Steve Oakes asked if I had checked the plugs. Um, . . . well, . . . um, so I swapped around a couple of spark plugs because I had overlooked the cheapest and easiest of all diagnosis, and it wasn't the plugs.

I have pulled off the valve cover and turned it over by hand, watching the valves carefully. I don't think any of the valves are stuck open.

Put it all back together and . . . the same.

Only thing left to do topside is to pull the injectors and see if one or more of them is leaking or plugged up. Somehow, I kind of doubt that it is the injectors, but you never know.

If it is the injectors, I'll know what to do. But if it is not, and if it tests with low compression on one or more cylinders, then what do I do next? How do I differentiate among the possibilities like rings, leaky valve seals, etc?

Current plan is to buy a compression tester and go from there. Although I'm already pretty sure the #2 cylinder is the culprit.

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Scott Cook - 1991 745T, 1985 RX-7 GSL-SE, 1986 Toyota Tercel (Don't laugh, it is reliable, faithful AND gets 41 mpg!)