HELP! dpkg dies with --fsys-tarfile error

[Robbie Huffman <robbie@user-37kbu2i.dialup.mindspring.com>]

This is an urgent plea for help! The problem is one I've experienced
sporadically since I started with Debian several months back. Some packages
won't install, giving an error such as this one:

gzip: stdout: Broken pipe
dpkg-deb: subprocess gzip -dc returned error exit status 1
dpkg: error processing ../kernel-image-2.2.5_Boris.1.0_i386.deb (--install):
 subprocess dpkg-deb --fsys-tarfile returned error exit status 2
Errors were encountered while processing:
 ../kernel-image-2.2.5_Boris.1.0_i386.deb


Currently, I'm trying to upgrade to a 2.2.5 kernel in order to fix many 
problems on my system related to hardware. The kernel compiles fine, and
make-kpkg gives me a nice deb. But as you can see by the error above, dpkg
can't install it. I *can* use "dpkg-deb --fsys-tarfile filename > new.tar"
and get a perfectly fine tarfile. 

I've taken this to #debian and to bugtraq. But nobody has encountered
this problem before. I'm hoping someone on the list has, and can help. Or
at the very least, someone can suggest a way for me to install the package
using an alternate method. I'd hate to just jam the kernel into the system,
and upset some precarious balance in the packaging system.

All help is appreciated!

Thanks,
Robbie