Not trying to be a smart azz, but you need to be sure to clean the head surface and block "as clean as a stainless steel skillet if you were going to fry eggs in it clean".
Any short cuts will come back to more grief, meaning time, money, labor and frustration.
In the future it may save you some work to try to determine what the possible causes of the problem might be before tearing into an engine. As North Idaho Wolfman suggested, knowing the compression readings help determine the problem you were observing. Because this eliminates a major breakdown of the entire engine.
Characteristics of the engine would also help others to isolate the problem. For example, has the engine ever overheated? Have you done maintenance regularly..does it have correct oil level? Have you noticed any unusual noises while it's running.....etc.?
If you plan on keeping your machine, and want to know the upper part of the engine is OK, you can take the head to a machine shop and have it magnafluxed for about $40. This will confirm the head is not cracked. They can also make sure the valves are seating correctly. This is not necessary, but sure provides peace of mind at a minimal price.