First check the fuel pressure with a gauge. There is a test fitting on the fuel rail and you can get the fuel pressure specifications on the internet. If the pressure is good check for an bad spark plug, wire or coil. Pull a spark plug wire one at a time and see if it makes it worse or stays the same. If it stays the same pull the spark plug out and see if it looks ok if it does swap the plug with the next cylinder and pull a wire and see if the miss is on the original cylinder or if it switched to the other cylinder. If it's in the original cylinder change the plug wire with a different cylinder and pull each wire one at a time. If the miss stays in the original cylinder it is most likely an ignition coil. If it has multiple ignition coils switch it with another coil and see if the miss moves to another cylinder. If it moves you need a new coil. If not check the cylinder for compression, if the compression is good it has a fuel injector. If you are not mechanical inclined I would take it to a shop for a...
You don't need to prime the engine. If you turn the key to on position it turns on the fuel pump and primes the lines. You need to borrow/rent a fuel pressure gauge from a auto parts store like autozone, o'Reilly, etc. It should have a fuel pressure test port on the fuel line. If you turn the key on it will send power to the fuel pump for 2 seconds. When you crank the engine over it will send power to the fuel pump as soon as it detects oil pressure. You can look up the fuel pressure on the internet. You also need to verify that you have spark. I would also recommend checking for trouble codes, you can get a code reader at one of the auto parts stores. You can borrow them with a deposit. I can give you more information if you tell me what engine you have in the vehicle and the symptoms. And if you can give me the trouble codes and see if it has spark and fuel pressure.
I assume you are talking about the transmission. You need to see if the fluid is burnt. If the fluid is burnt and you take the pan off and put new fluid in it it is most likely that the transmission will go out. What solenoid are you talking about? What is the problem you are having?
Check the belt going to the rear housing. Make sure it's on and tight. Make sure the fluid level is full on the rear differential. Don't try to put it in gear on its side. It has fluid drive setup on the later models. That's why you can slowly at speed or punch it nice and smoothly. Look at your owner's manual or if you don't have it give me the model and I can see if I can find it online.
First do a compression test. If the compression is good pull the codes and find the cylinder that is missing and switch plugs and erase the code and see if the mis changed cylinders then if that doesn't work try switching the coil and erase the code if that doesn't fix it then it needs a injector.
Try using a razor blade but with a chisel blade and once you release one catch undo the blade and leave it in and use another blade on the knife until it releases.