I suspect that most of the gunk down the head bolt holes got there last time the head was off. The occasions I have had heads off, this has not seemed to be an issue - maybe I am a bit more tolerant of it, or maybe yours is bad. A suggestion for getting them clean would be to tape over all the holes you do not want dirt in (water galleries, tappet holes, cylinders etc), and then use, as you suggest, brake cleaner or perhaps some other solvent and then compressed air with a tube (narrower than the bolt hole) that reaches to the bottom. Have rags around to catch what blows out.
John
JDNSW
1986 110 County 3.9 diesel
1970 2a 109 2.25 petrol
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