So there might be light at the end of the tunnel, but it will probably be very unsatisfying to my TDR friends

. The posts by Timd and Darkblood caused my one brain synapse to fire last week and I took another look at the aftermarket CKP I put in back in '05. It's the ROKK with the shoulder milled so you can rotate it to advance the timing maybe 2 degrees. Back in '14 I just checked to make sure it was secure. Last week I pulled it and advanced it as far as it would go. Round trip from Omaha to Minneapolis over the weekend I averaged 17 MPG including the return trip with a bunch of storm doors caddy-corner in the bed. Hadn't seen anything north of 14 MPG since this saga started, and it's consistent with the differences I saw when I first installed it in '05.
So I think the most likely explanation for my overnight performance loss 7 years ago is that the CKP shifted during the drive, retarding the timing. It could be something goofy with the tone ring or ECM, but the movement of the CKP seems like the simplest explanation. It's only been 900 miles, so maybe there's more to the story.
Thanks again for all the advice. I will definitely post one way or the other if this "solution" stands the test of time.