Too bad you didn't ask this BEFORE you took the head off, when we could have actually had you do some diagnostic tests.

( that needed the head on! )
1, you could have done a dry then wet compression test. This would have told us the general health of the engine via dry compression, ballanced with knowing that if it is a low number, if it was rings or valves, or a head gasket.
2, If it was a gasser, we could have done ignition tests to see if the chuffing was cyl related, or moved.
3, if it was a diesel, we could do a similar injector test.
As it is now, do the valves all move correctly?