Sure do the compression check but make sure to examine for the number one cylinder spitting oil out. Common failure that usually does not implicate a cracked head.

I would not play around much with this as an oil based hydrolock might occur. The oil passage that is implicated with this fault actually is located just ahead of the first cylinder.

There have been attempts to reduce the incidence of this failure by improving replacement head gaskets. So if you get into this and it is the fault. Make sure to purchase the most improved head gasket version.