I am reviving this thread to add my own findings and to advise what can happen when you have the wrong dipstick!!
I have a 261 with a build date of Feb 1959. My dipstick Tube OL (from the block casting to the end) is approx 7 1/16"
My dipstick from under the washer to the "Full" Line is 13 5/16" (the wrong dipstick)
I had just rebuilt my engine and added one quart at a time to a completely dry engine. Right at 5 qt., without ever turning the engine over, the dipstick read just a fraction below "full".
After oil priming the engine, I added another quart to bring it back to the "Full" line. I have a spin-on oil filter with external oil lines (full flow block). The filter was filled prior to spinning it on.
During the initial run up, after the engine got good and warm, it began to emit blue-gray smoke from the exhaust, had oil on the plugs, and was puffing faint smoke from the breather pipe. I was pretty upset about it all...
I then replaced the factory style valve seals with the umbrella type, as I had noticed that the machine shop had not installed the exhaust seals correctly, but the engine still smoked and I began to doubt myself and wondered if I had installed some rings upside down, or whether the block had been honed properly. Well, as a last resort I drained approx. one quart of oil from the motor, and started it up- no more blue-gray smoke!
I don't know what engine my dipstick is from, but apparently it's the wrong one (based upon this thread) and the full line should be about where the "add" line is.
What a difference a quart makes....
Last edited by Norcal Dave; 04/20/2017 2:37 PM.
