You mentioned that oil flows to the filter, so you should probably leave things as they were, unless the flow was not much.

Just make sure that the oil pump is not plugged !!
With oil flowing through the filter or bypassed.


The 1960 truck shop manual shows a picture of the full flow oil filter and connections.
However the block casting in the picture didn't even had this plug and no mention of it....?



On the road every day...
1952 Truck - 235
1948 Coupe - 261