PVT PLT OF SMA ACFT DEVIATED FROM CLRNC ALT AND TRACK DUE TO DISTR FROM A ROUGH RUNNING ENG RESULTING IN ATC ASSISTANCE IN GETTING BACK TO ORIGINAL CLRNC TRACK. THIS PLT ALSO LINED UP WITH THE WRONG RWY WHEN CLRED TO LAND UPON RETURNING TO THE DEP ARPT.

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WHILE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO PHOENIX IMMEDIATELY AFTER COMPLETING IFR DEP PROC OUT OF POC; I NOTICED ENG ROUGHNESS AND FOCUSED ON PROPER PROCS TO REVERSE THE PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY I WAS UNSUCCESSFUL; AND WHILE MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED; I STRAYED FROM MY REQUIRED AIRWAYS AND MISSED AN ALT CLRNC FROM ATC. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO NAV BACK ON RTE AND RECEIVED VECTORS TO MY AIRWAY FROM ATC. HOWEVER; I DECIDED TO RETURN TO POC BECAUSE OF MY SITUATION. BRACKETT (POC) WAS RPTING IFR; AND I SHOT THE VOR A APCH INTO BRACKETT. THE APCH WENT WELL EXCEPT DURING THE CIRCLING MANEUVER; I REQUESTED 26R DURING FINAL; INSTEAD OF 26L; AS I WAS CLRED. I WAS POSITIONED MORE APPROPRIATELY TO LAND ON THIS RWY. I RECEIVED CLRNC FROM THE TWR FOR MY REQUEST TO LAND ON 26R AND LANDED. I FEEL THAT I FELL VICTIM TO COCKPIT OVERLOAD. WHILE MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED; I FAILED TO ADHERE TO MY IFR RTE OF FLT AND DID NOT COMPLY WITH ALT CLRNCS. IT HAD ALSO BEEN SOME TIME SINCE I FLEW IFR AIRWAYS. FOR NOW ON; I WILL TRY TO DETECT ALL ENG MALFUNCTIONS ON THE GND; AND FLY IFR WITH AN INSTRUCTOR UNTIL MORE CONFIDENT.