Hello, how are you, because I think it should not be about the valves, when the valves fail, it loses compression, it increases compression.
For me that the detail is in the carburetor, I do not have much knowledge in carburetors what I can tell you to do the original carburetor of that engine, because two throats for a 1600cc is a lot I consider, I have seen that it is normally a throat for that cylinder.
Look for float adjustment, the turns to which the high, low and air sprewoods go if it carries or data on that carburetor.
Other failures that can give that are that this evil engine synchronized.
That the ignition time is evil, a poor spark by an aging coil, rotor with resistance excess, old distributor lid, old cables and with high resistant, ignition module, etc. or failing that the compression is already fleeing and you have too much oil vapor circulating through your carburetor.
Now, if you want to take off from the doubt, there is an empty meter in mercury inches called Vacoumetro, you insert it into an empty hose and the needle moves. Lower a PDF how that tool is read and you will have a better idea.
In the Urrea brand it sells them and are called a vacuum meter for gas pump.