You can leave them on but you need to find a way to keep the valves from falling into the cyliders when you take the keepers off. You can use an air compressor and pressurize the cylider you can buy a fitting that screws into the sparkplug hole, or put each piston at TDC before changing each valve spring. Its much cheaper to do it with out taking the heads off because you will have to buy new head bolts and head gaskets if you take the heads off.
I dont know where you are getting yours...but last time I checked a head changing kit w/ head gaskets and head bolts from ford racing was only $100 over at steeda
Not to mention the time it takes to drain the coolant, pull the intake, pull the PITA exhaust manifolds, front timing cover, cam chains, actually pull the heads, finally swap your springs, clean the sealing surfaces, then put it all back together and hope you got your cam timing right. WHEW!! Did I leave any major steps out?
Just leave your heads on.
I dont know where you are getting yours...but last time I checked a head changing kit w/ head gaskets and head bolts from ford racing was only $100 over at steeda
the head gaskets in the kit are ok, they are the old style...there is a new improved head gasket that I hear is like 70 bucks each and thats the discounted price from randy over at modular depot??? I will be calling him for some head swap parts next week so i'll find out for sure.