So your original question is how best to clean up the removed head I believe?    
Normally my answer to that would be remove the coking from the combustion area.  Lap the valves in.   Carefully remove any deposits from the area that seats the cylinder into the head.     Carefully scrape the flat area where the coolant seal sits.   If significantly pitted, fill the damaged spots with JB weld then when it is hardened, rub on a flat surface with very fine wet and dry until the damaged area is smooth, filled and clean.   The area of the cylinder that enters the head should also be cleaned, including the o-ring groove and the area that contacts the metal head gasket ring.
This is my take on it and I too would like to hear the opinion of experienced people with one or many successfully repaired engines as I too am faced with doing something very similar and I have no experience with WBX engines.       Thanks  Steve

On Feb 5, 2014, at 7:07 PM, J Stewart <fonman4277@COMCAST.NET> wrote:

> With all those responses, NO ONE ACTUALLY ANSWERED THE ORIGINAL QUESTION!! Also, don't get me wrong, I appreciate all the pros here who take the time to answer questions, I really do, but don't forget most of us don't own a garage (business) that repairs Vanagons and other VW's. I'm lucky enough to have a garage and a spare engine, but not an extra bell housing, starter, battery, etc. Well, there may actually be a starter buried out there somewhere, I'm not sure. In my case I have a full time job (telecom tech) and with commuting usually put in a 10-12 hour day. Vanagons are a hobby/passion, not a business. Anyway, enough about that. After careful consideration, I think I will redo (new seals) the heads on the spare engine and just swap the engines out-new water pump too on the spare-but no new clutch, that would be a waste of money...mines an automatic. I just have a sneaking suspicion trying to pull the head with the engine in the van will be a disaster and and I'll end up dropping the engine anyway. Thanks!! 
> 
> Oh, and I do have a magnifying glass too! 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Jeff Stewart