I want to thank you for your help XE. I eventually took the truck to the dealer (I really had no time to do all the tests). The problem turned out to be a clogged system and the timing was advanced slightly. I now have a truck that feels absolutely new.
So, only a few thousand dollars later, and a $112 problem was the culprit the whole time. The truth is, that now I really do have an almost new truck quite littorally.
