96 chev 1500 w/6 cyl vortex, started running rough, then smells like gas, now engine light comes on and white smoke

Check what's called the map sensor. Advanced auto parts can help with that.

Ordinarily, rough running with a raw gas smell indicates a fuel pressure regulator or fuel injector problem, but that usually produces grey or black smoke. The white smoke may be steam, which is more serious.

If the exhaust also smells somewhat like maple syrup (that's what burned engine coolant smells like unless you are running water without antifreeze), or your coolant level is going down rapidly, you probably have a bad head gasket, cracked block or head that is leaking coolant into one or more cylinders. That's what would produce a large amount of steam, and the uneven power production is what makes the engine vibrate strongly. The mixture control system is being all messed up because the coolant in the cylinder is preventing proper combustion - on the one hand the knock vibration sensor is telling the computer that the engine is running too lean, but on the other hand the oxygen sensor is detecting the rich condition. A readout of the engine computer would be interesting to see.

Run the engine as little as possible until you get this checked out. A coolant leak into a cylinder can cause quite a bit of secondary damage.

You may be able to identify which cylinder has the problem by removing the spark plugs and inspecting them. A wet spark plug is confirmation of my hypothesis. If you have a borescope (video camera on a flexible tube or with a fiber optic bundle with a lens on the end), you can peek inside the cylinder through the spark plug hole. Otherwise, pull the head to see where the coolant leak is.

White smoke is water vapor and in this cold climate it is normal. Strong gas smell is not normal although you may smell some while engine is warming up. Bad cat converter can produce smells, but usually more like rotten eggs. If engine is running rough and seems rich, check coolant temp sensor. Bad converter can cause stalling too. Otherwise, idle speed is controlled by idle air contol motor which can get dirty and stick. Any codes set?

Blue smoke indicates engine oil being burnt, sounds like piston ring are knackered.

There are few possibilities that can cause such problem.
I recommend you few help links related to your problem.Click the link below and follow the troubleshooting;-----Idles rough and quits when gas pedal is pressed less? http://technoanswers.blogspot.in/2012/01/1999-ford-f-150-idles-rough-and-quits.html-----------
Brake pedal stuck? http://howtobyme.blogspot.in/2012/03/brake-pedal-stuck.html

-------------
Car only starts when gas pedal is pressed? http://technoanswers.blogspot.com/2012/01/car-only-starts-when-gas-pedal-is.html

----------
Car won't start without hitting the gas pedal? http://schematicsdiagram.blogspot.com/2011/12/car-wont-start-without-hitting-gas.html

----------
emits whitish bluish smoke and bad fuel smell from exhaust

http://schematicsdiagram.blogspot.com/2011/12/van-emits-whitish-bluish-smoke-and-bad.html

----------
White smoke and Acrid Smell? http://whoisbyme.blogspot.in/2012/07/white-smoke-and-acrid-smell.html
---------- Car stalls and throws white smoke from exhaust? http://repairhelpcenter.blogspot.com/2012/01/car-stalls-and-throws-white-smoke-from.html

-----------
This will help.
Thanks.

white smoke out off exhaust is coolant getting into cyl like a bad head gasket to much fuel would be black smoke

Sounds like there is a blown piston, to be sure have a compression test done on that #2 cylinder, if the reading is low, then you'll know.
A friend of mine had a 95 that did simular things only a little more,
it started smoking, dash lights flickered, etc. Finally, he had to get rid of it, the piston rod went through the engine block.

oooooooooooo my friend white smoke mens head gasket is gon sorry

your piston ring could be goin bad

you're probably burning coolant. headgasket, cracked or warped head, intake manifold or gasket, or cracked block are your sources. Take it to a care car service to have it checked. Whatever it is, it's hard to diagnose just by the exhaust color. I had white smoke coming from the exhaust of the family van, it was a cracked block. That can certainly cause a multi-misfire. So have an ASE certified mechanic look it over, it could get expensive!