Yes, the rope *can* work...
However, You can remove the head without removing the engine. Although it only takes about 20 minutes to remove the engine... that 20 minutes spent pulling the engine will make up for the time you’ll spend fighting for space to get around the timing belt cover and etc. not to mention the pain saved not working through a hole under the seat... I hate bending over unnecessarily. Plus, those little valve keepers can be a PITA and fly across the shop, never to be seen again. Or with my luck you’ll find them a couple months later after you’ve already ordered new ones and got the cart back together and running
I like the control of not doing things over a floor through a hole in a cramped spot.
IMO Some things aren’t worth the hassle of trying to find workarounds. And I don’t like putting things inside the cylinder that don’t belong. I’d pull the head if I were doing it.