Two (or more?) Bent Pushrods

That’s even better than that story(ies) of the guy who drained the coolant (or oil) and drove it and still couldn’t kill one!

I ran my slant with no oil in it for an entire week and it never blew. This was back in high school days. Had another fresh slant ready to go in it. Man those engines are tough.

I would start by checking the valves. Could very well be a stuck valve, especially if it sat for a long time.