[MA70-3.0GT]

Yeah they're excellent little things for just this sort of job.

Anyway, how's it coming? You checked those valve clearances yet? That's where my money's on at the moment & if you catch it before it's run too much you may even get to keep the affected valve & seat if it's only ally jammed in there.

One of those scopes would be a godsend if it is this, as you could use a flexi bar or screwdriver to loosen the bit of crap once you've found it & then put a screwdriver with blu-tak on the end down to fish it out, all by only removing at worst a manifold, the valve covers & plugs...

If it does come to pulling the head, there's NO need at all to drop the motor. Only thing that makes it tricky is if you have studs & nuts instead of bolts holding it down, even then you only need to take the rearmost studs out to do it in-situ. I've just pulled my head & the worst bit by far was accessing the turbo & oil feed bolts, you could even bypass this by undoing the 7 manifold nuts & tying the lot back a few mm, I think. One thing I will say though, if you're lifting the head on you're own then
1) remove the radiator so you can stand in the bay, or you'll break your back trying to lift it!
2) when you're ready to go lay a thick blanket over the nose of the car, then you can rest the head on this while you climb out.
3) ideally be in a garage, or at least a warm state of the US, it's no fun at all trying to strip an engine with freezing rain running down your neck!!!

EDIT-: here's a pic of the "headless supra" in case you don't believe me...