I finally resolved the tach and temp guage failures! The large electrical connector near the ECU where the wire bundle is in the holder just under the windshield had become disconnected.

 

Thank you for giving us closure on this Danny.
Now if someone who is having a similar problem does a search this may help them instead of just finding a thread that ends in "call me"

 

Sorry I missed the temp guage was also out. Well, it was an open circuit.

 

I like this comment!!!!!

 

I did not notice the temp guage being out as quickly as I did the Tach and did not connect the two as being one problem. I do not remember disconnecting that particular connector, but I did shuffle that bundle aroound when taking the coil pack loose to change the O2's a while back. It must have separat6ed sometime recently.

It also started dieing out when coasting up to stop signs, red lights, traffic jams and did not always start on first attempt.

Remating the connector solved all of that.

 

BINGO!
So, today I went out and replaced the two front o2 sensors. In fumbling around with the connectors, I must've disconnected the tach, and i'm pretty sure I heard it short-out when I started the motor (and it consequently died immediately)

So I'm digging-through, looking for that connector. (well, right now I'm easting a samich.... THEN I'll go pull the coil-bar and look for this conenctor.)

thanks y'all!

 

yeah... welll.... the curse continues.
I've got no spark. And I have no idea why.
I pulled the coil-bar and discovered I had a wire that had pulled-out of the o2 sensor connector. I put it back together properly. But I see no reason why I'd be missing spark.
So help me out here: When I discovered the tach was dead, I was fishing around behind the coil packs, looking for a loose wire. I found one (which turned-out to be the wire to the o2 sensor connector) and in wiggling it around, I heard it spark, and the motor dide. So obviously I must've been grounding-out the coil pack. ???

what could I have burned-up, and how do I test it?

And I might as well mention, since I don't know if it's related: I have to wiggle the gear selector now to get the ignition key to turn the motor. So something got moved there too, while I was dickin' around.
How does that lockout work? Is there any possibility it will allow the motor to turn, but still keep the spark shut-off? or is it a single relay?

sunnuva....
i've about had a gut-full of this cantankerous POS.