Engine running like crap on start-up

[chuckieduck]

Hello all. I have a 2000 Excursion which has never given me any problems until the other day. I started it up and it started just fine like always. I put it in gear and started to drive away and it started missing, lost all power and the idle was real rough and dropped down below 500 rpm. In nuetral I can push the gas pedal down and it takes it's sweet time spinning up. All of a sudden the engine will catch up with alot of gurgling and blow out white smoke. If I put it in drive again and start to drive it just looses power, even with the pedal all the way down it just sits around idle. It will slowly catch up with the pedal but it with surge and studder. After it warms up to regular temp it runs just fine.

The only thing that has changed here lately is the temp has dropped but only into the 50s. Ane this past weekend my area was flooded. I did drive thru it after the water dropped some, but it was still almost to the bottom of my doors. I didn't drive thru the water fast all. Don't really think that would have caused anything but I don't know.

I have read some of the other posts on this problem but all the problems seems to happen after the truck has been driven then the problems start. I do not know alot about these engines. Never worked on them. I am used to working on older Detroits in Air Force generators where everything is very easy to troubleshoot. Any help or ideas would be greatly appreciated.