I have to agree with 48BigTrucks. An engine that is heavily "gunked up" could very well have some serious blow-by from the rings which all the detailing and gaskets in the world isn't going to remedy. Get it running, determine how much compression you've got......with the head redone, if the rings are weak, you'll just compound the problem of blowby and just put additional stress on the lower end of the engine.
It would be a waste of time and labor to pull the engine only to find that after getting everything cleaned up and re-installed you were going to have to pull it again to address some necessary machine work and new rings. Heck, you might get lucky......good oil pressure, acceptable compression, no knocks, cooling or timing gear issues, and you'd be in business for a driver. With your own admission of having limited experience with automotive mechanicals; which could translate into not having an engine hoist, jacks, stands and other related equipment, wrestling a 620 pound engine out for a detail job is not going to be a fruitful/fun project. Especially if you discover it's got to come back out for some major repairs.
I'd think long and hard before I skipped the basic diagnosis.
Dave
