If it weren't for bad luck.....

Been chasin a skip in my truck (04 Ranger) for a couple of days. I had everything to do a tune up on it anyway, so I did it. Still skippin. It's not terrible and when it gets just a little RPM, the skip goes away. Even on the scan tool. I thought weak or broken valve spring. So, I pulled the intake plenum and the valve cover. Yanked rockers off number 5. Springs LOOK ok. So I tried to push down on the exhaust spring. I can barely move it. Did the same with the intake. I can open it fairly easily. "Great I found the problem!" Wrong. Just to be sure, I put shop air on that cylinder. Son of a ***** if air ain't comin outta the exhaust pipe. I put a set of reman heads on this truck shortly after I bought it a little over 3 years ago. There was a big Ford TSB regarding soft exhaust seats. So I got a set from Dover cylinder head in Atlanta with tungsten carbide exhaust seats. I figured that problem was fixed. This is the absolute last thing we needed and right when I was beginning to dig us out. Down to just Kitty's car. I hope nothin happens to it. If ever there was a week when I could hang myself out of a tree this is certainly it.