Bob,
I believe in stem seals (especially Perfect circle type seals that meter oil into the stem. They will work, but are not a perfect solution to all oil consumption.
Get a parts person to look at the engine speca, or a callout for the seals from Dana Perfect circle company. There is no need to pull the head, just the valve cover and rocker assembly.A valve spring compressor and a place to pry under to compress the valve springs is needed. (if the rockers are all removed and kept in order, the rocker shaft and towers are best). Use about 3 ft of cotton cloths line rope. Pull the sparkplugs, valve cover and rocker arms (as above). then in #1 cyl stuff all but a pig tail of rope into the cyl (you may need to rotate the engine with the fan to get the piston down a bit to get the rope into the plug hole).
Turn the engine by the fan until it compresses the rope against the valves some. (you can even use the crank to put a bit of pressure on the rope). The valve keepers can now be removed. The best way to assure they will come loose is to free them as follows: find a deep 5/8 socket. cover all the pushrod holes and drain holes to the pan with a heavy cloth. Use a plastic hammer and position the socket on the retainer so the non-drive end of the socket is on the retainer, not on the valve stem, and give it a modest rap. this breaks the bond of time and pressure on the wedge style keepers. Just hit hard enough to jar the spring down a tad. Now use the valve spring compressor on the retainer, and a small magnet on the two keepers to prevent them from becomming identified flying objects. remove the spring, and there is the place for the seal. The seal has a tool that is used to push it on. so follow the directions. If a valve stem is pounded over from excessive clearance it will be necessary to use a dremel and grind the mushroomed over edges off of it. THis whole process can take less than 3 hours, or as much as a half day, but it is usually rewarding in that you will know that the oil consumption is not guides. And it is pretty inexpensive. If a stem can be wiggled back and forth in the guide (they should be less than .002" at the very most) then consider continuing to tear down the head and do the needed repairs (maybe including sleeves and pistons if the rings have worn a ridge in the cylinders that you can feel with a fingernail. Good luck, JimN
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