Some caution and some advice from experience.
First to "53 Panel" with the 261...... make darn sure your 261 is not a full flow oil filter..... if you run it without a connecting filter or temporary bypass line you will fry our engine in a few minute.

I had a 261 re built by a reputable shop..... when I got it home it had pipe plugs installed in both oil openings beloe the manifold..... when I questioned them about it turned out that an older gentelmen had done the reassembly a a young chap finished the job and plugged the galley holes.

An engine in storage should be over filled with good motor oil that you will drain and replace before starting the first time. Oil galleys should be primed with an electric drill at least quaterly. Plugs should be removed and the engine spun by the starter while the oil is being primed. I installed a manual oil pressure gauge on mine and recorded 42 pounds whiel driven with a 3/8 HD drill...... engine turned very easily with the starter...... Caution with the plugs removed the plug holes will spit out excess oil right in your face while holding the drill ...one more caution.... on the distributor side..... above near the edge of the head just below the valve cover.... you have two bolt holes menat to hold the distributor coil...... make sure you have bolts in them little suckers because as the valleys fill inside the valve cover they will leak beautiful clean oil all over the side.....

Prime and spin every 3 months while in storage and it will minimize problems later..... don't foreget to squirt more oil inside the plug holes before reinstalling the plugs ....actually after spending $3k to rebuild it is cheap insurance.

Bob C.

Bob C.
CMP Heaven
The Hammond Barn