[Farmall] Super A engine trouble...

[Greg Holmes]

This may be a tough question to diagnose online, but my Super A has been running very poorly (as in, barely running) and this is beyond my level of expertise. 

A tractor repair guy now tells me that the #1 cylinder has about 15lb pressure (the plug was very oil- and carbon-fouled on that cylinder) and that he needs to open the engine up to determine if it's a valve or worse. I have a worst-case scenario of a $2500 rebuild or a valve, or a head gasket problem (the engine does seep a little oil from the head gasket area).

Any shared experiences are welcome. Ultimately, this will be a decision of would one scrap a vintage tractor vs. fully restore it to tip top condition for probably another 50-100 years of service (given how it's no longer working daily on the farm).

Many thanks in advance.

Greg