Hello CG,
As a kid I went to auto mechanics school. I wanted to do that for a living until the kid in the bay next to me was killed one day. He didn't use jackstands. Fatal mistake. He was 17. There is no more helpless feeling in the world than to stand there and watch someone die knowing of nothing to do to help. I'm 45 now and I still get the willys if I'm under a vehicle and hear something creak or groan.Anyway, I still remember lots of it but I'm afraid I am outdated badly when it comes to the new stuff. I don't think you'll need to worry too much about hurting the head as long as you don't pry on an edge with a screw driver. Take your flat scraper and drive it under there gently as possible to break the old gasket loose. Try to get all the way around. Valve seals go on the valve stem to keep oil from running down the stem and into the combustion area. As they age, they tend to get brittle and leak, allowing oil to get by and the engine will expell a cloud of smoke when first started after setting a while. If the seals get real bad, the engine will smoke every time vacuum is created. (rev'ving, coasting etc.) That head should be surface planed to make it flat again and your valves and seats should be ground. It should also be cleaned and checked for cracks and other defects like valve guide wear. If you don't know anything about these things, I would caution you against taking this on yourself. A catastrophic failure could end up costing you a motor.
My very unprofessional opinion,
Steve
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