I can enter root password but it is very erratic skipping sometimes and not letting me complete password before it asks for the password again before it finally accepts password.
I'm not sure to understand what you mean...
If you are able to log with root at sulogin prompt, first do:
# mount -o remount,rw /
this will remount your root partition with read/write permissions
now, check if you have the boot tree
# 66-intree
if you have it do
# 66-enable -t boot -F boot
if you don't have it
# 66-tree -n boot
# 66-enable -t boot boot
with the previous command of 66-intree check if you have the root tree
if not
# 66-tree -cnE root
# 66-enable tty@ tty1 tty@ tty2
if you have it
# 66-enable -F -t root tty@ tty1 tty@ tty2
reboot with
# reboot -f
obviously i don't know what you has inside of your root tree and if you have other tree than the root tree. But you get the point.
lets us know if you get a operational machine or not.