Different oil leak

[Firefighter2590]

OK first i must say i am new to the forum and to the diesel world. Anyways i have a 1995 ford F-250 obviously with the 7.3L, and on the driver side of the motor i have a oil leak, it starts right under the exhaust manifold and goes down from there. On a gas motor i would think it would be a bad head gasket, is there what everyone else would think also. and when u start it up it kinda blows whitish blueish smoke for a few minutes could that be related?

[erics diesel]

the oil leak is more than likely from the oil cooler (long cylinder that goes from the oil filter to the front of the engine) there are orings that are known to leak over time especially when it gets cold out. As far as the smoke when you start the truck its normal diesel likes to burn hot and its just from the cylinders not being warm enough yet

[Firefighter2590]

ok cool thanks and how hard would u say it is to replace all of that stuff?

[Echo]

I just did my oil cooler yesterday. Overall its not that hard to do. make sure you get the gaskets that go on the block as well as the o-rings. If you take out the drivers side wheel well it is much easier to access the oil cooler. Drain the coolant from both the radiator and the plug on the block above the oil filter this way you don't get a bath when you unbolt the oil cooler.
If you unbolt the motor mount on the drivers side and jack the motor up a little bit the cooler is much easier to get out. When you remove the oil cooler from the block there is a oil pressure regulating valve that can possibly fall out of the oil cooler, make sure if it does fall out you put it back in before you reinstall the oil cooler. I made this mistake and I can tell you from experience the truck will not run without it lol!