De-cokeing? Indeed.
Flat-head engines were regularly decoked. I have seen 4000 miles recommended as service intervals. Head gaskets were often re-used a couple - or even several - times on side valve engines.
Along came OHV engines and pressurised cooling systems, so the procedure became more complex and far less re-use of head gaskets. Engine designs (particularly the carburettors) improved, thus allowing more mileage between decokes. Regular valve grinding was usual when a decoke was felt necessary (and was likely the root cause of the need for the decoke).
The adoption of fuel injection and hardened valve seats on all petrol engines has virtually removed any coking problems in more-modern engines. Diesel engines and some spark-ignition engines had hardened exhaust (at least) valve seats a lot earlier (1920s?) (and engines with aluminium heads, of course).
These days, feeding the engine with a water mist is often used instead of a dismantling job, if coking occurs. Generally, oil-burning is the usual problem nowadays whether coked inlet valve heads or piston rings/cylinder bores. Occasionally bore glazing due to too-light loading had to be dealt with. Bedding in the rings on new engines can be problematic (just ask John Deere on that one).
Most claimed ‘motor mechanics’, these days, are actually only ‘fitters’ - only changing parts, not repairing them - but still needsing a modicum of skill.
I’m not a mechanic but I have scraped-in crankshaft bearings, modified pistons for older engines, etc in my time.