well, you have to pull the head and jug to get everything out. It is a little time consuming, yes. You should have no problem handling it in an evening though. A proper service manual is highly recommended for getting things put back in the right order.
Oven cleaner will "eat" aluminum, yes. If left on too long it will pit the aluminum surfaces. I found that gun cleaner works pretty well on the carbon buildup and is a safer alternative to oven cleaner.
If you have a problem with the kips, it should be consitently poor performance on either the low end or top end depending on which way the valve is "stuck". A "sluggish sometimes" condition may not be kips afterall. It will not hurt to take the valves out and clean them up and check for any broken compenents though.