On your list of things needing doing, only item I notice which may or may not apply to your engine, is a splash guard over where the road tube vent fits. On the inside of this type of block, usually there is small sheet metal device, funny bends, two quarter inch bolts or sheet metal screws, cannot quite remember, short either way, this affair fits over the hole for the road tube to prevent oil from splashing through the hole. May or may not be present on your 53 engine.
On the oil pump, year specific, another old versus new thing, some oil pump to oil pickup tubes have a small clamp on brace. Don't know if your year specific engine should have this. A simple brace which grips the tube. I think this applies to much newer engines, maybe an afterthought by GM. Any empty bolt holes around your oil pump area?
Think about using a graphite based pre-lube next time. STP works great, a graphite lube stays in place better; does not ooze out during long term storage.
You can pre-lube your engine, like small block V-8 engines, by fitting an appropriate size and shape attachment in a drill, set for clockwise spin, shove it down there to your oil pump then spin your oil pump until oil is pumped out of your rocker arms. Not really needed for an old inline six but you will feel better about all this. Do this last just before you are ready to fire up your engine.
Billyray
