Hello fellow Montero enthusiasts. I need your help!

I have a ‘90 Montero 4x4 that blew a head gasket in January, diagnosed after overheating, stalling, and coolant leaking from the engine bay, 3.0 V6.

A tech performed a leak-down test:
• Cylinder 1: 50% loss, air in coolant reservoir
• Cylinder 3: 33% loss, severe bubbling
• Cylinder 5: 25/35 psi held, coolant puking near the head

All passenger-side cylinders failed; driver’s side passed. Warpage on the passenger head measured .007-.008” (max allowed: .002”), indicating significant damage.

We resurfaced the passenger head, replaced all seals except the rear main, and reinstalled it. After getting it back, I noticed a small oil drip near the exhaust manifold. Now, oil is pouring down from the passenger side, possibly from the forward-most exhaust manifold stud.

The tech didn’t inspect for cracks due to the nonferrous head not being testable with Magnaflux. His plan: remove the stud, coat it with Loctite/Teflon tape, and reinstall.

What would you do? I’m already $12k deep and can’t afford much more. Seeking advice from every expert.