Ford 7.3L Power Stroke (1999-2003) :: Oil Leaking From Driver Side Exhaust Manifold At Junction With Up-Pipe

I had a fuel starvation problem because Ford painted the inside of the fuel tank and the paint was coming off and clogging the filters and because I foolishly drove it I now have white smoke spewing out of the tail pipe and an engine miss.

I also explained that I thought that the white smoke did not smell sweet like antifreeze, but rather like diesel. (Hoping that a head gasket replacement is not required.)

I am in the middle of doing the Hutch Mod with frame-mounted Racor PS120-2 jar-type screen pre-pump filter and shortening my previous Harpoon Mod and paint stripping and powerwashing the inside of my tank. Next I plan to move on toward the engine issue.

This evening I was under the van with a flashlight and I noticed that there was a black liquid of some sort at the driver's side exhaust manifold where it joins the up-pipe. At first I was afraid to touch it fearing that it would be carbon-sooted water, but it felt and tasted like carbon-sooted diesel.

And since I haven't started the engine in two weeks and it has been routinely near or over 100F in Sacramento, water would have likely evaporated days ago.

Does it make sense if the fuel starvation problem caused an injector nozzle or its cup to crack or to stick open or to otherwise spew unburnt fuel into the exhaust manifold which would cause the white smoke? Obviously, the unburnt fuel must get from the affected cylinder(s) to the tail pipe somehow, which likely means out the exhaust valve, through the exhaust manifold to the up-pipe and through the turbo to the exhaust pipe and finally to the tail pipe.

See pictures at my CP. I can't figure out how to attach them or put them inline here because it still says I can't do attachments.

What is my next move? Remove the driver's side valve cover? If so, what should I look for, etc.?

2002 E350 extended body van 7.3 diesel auto trans converted to 4x4 (bought new)