Right Hand Drive 98 Cherokee Sport XJ 2.5L Diesel VM - Coolant Leak

I have a 1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport XJ, 2.5L Diesel (RHD) that has a coolant leak. The coolant seems to be escaping at the back of the engine around the cylinder head gasket or somewhere slightly below it and runs down the left hand side of the join between the engine and gearbox housing. I haven’t been able to see exactly where the coolant is getting out so left it into a Jeep specialist who also couldn’t determine exactly where the leak was without doing a complete take apart. They suspected a hose at the back of the engine block but advised the labour involved in identifying the problem would take a minimum of 6 hours + Parts + reassemply resulting in the repair costing a lot more than the car is worth. They mentioned the exhaust manifold, turbo unit and several other bits of the engine would probably need to be removed to identify the problem. Also, the limited documentation I have on the engine cooling suggests there is no cooling hose at the back of the block!
Since the leak started, I have also noticed that if it is parked on an incline with the front facing up that it takes 4/5 tries to start it with a response similar to a flooded engine but this does not occur if it is parked on a level surface or with the front faced down. I don’t know if this would indicate anything but thought it might be relevant.
If anyone has experience with these engines, I’d be grateful for your opinion on :
- What the probable cause of the leak might be (Hose/Head Gasket/cracked block/frost plug) and if the 6 hours labour for the take apart sound justified.
- If I should try for a second opinion (Considering the leak is bad and getting worse so its difficult to move).
- Whether it is a job I should have a go at myself. I’ve always maintained my petrol engined cars before buying the jeep with the help of a Haynes manual and when I had more time. I don’t have any experience with diesel engines or engines this size. (Also, decent documentation for the 2.5l Diesel VM engine seems hard to come by)
- Is it time to just get rid of it?
Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.