Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

When it's cold, I tend to hit the starter pedal with the key off 4 times, to throw some gas in there from the accelerator pump. Two is probably enough but 4 works for me.

It takes a while for these things to warm up. Some/most/all of what you see as "white smoke" is actually steam from condensation in the exhaust pipes.

Yeah now that you mention that I notice that the "smoke" is nearly nothing when it first comes out. Obviously actual smoke will be thickest right by the pipe, not thin. You're in Cali but here it has dipped above and below freezing countless times since I last ran it a few weeks ago so I wouldn't doubt there's significant moisture collected in there. Now only to search out the rats-nest in the left exhaust sometime...

I'm not above my means in owning this car but at the same time I also didn't grow up with them, not just "not a 50's kid" but young enough where all the cars we had were fuel injected, cats, OBD, etc. Oldest car we had growing up was a 91 Ford Escort. Point is, I don't yet have enough familiarity/intuition yet to not get kinda worried when "something unexpected happens". Today's cars are just too reliable and predictable! Except when all but one each of my power windows and speakers stopped working within the same month on my Chevy Traverse, but that's a story for another time...


The difference is pretty "clear" when comparing this video.
youtube.com/shorts/tTNiDZa0h2I?feature=share

On my 54, when it's been sitting for awhile, I turn on the electic fuel pump until I hear it pressurize, the. Give the gas pedal two good pumps to reset the choke and prime and she fires right up. Even if below freezing in the garage, she always fires up.

I always use stabil when I fill the tank to keep the gas from going sour

So yeah the "smoke" was just condensation that cleared up when driving. I happened to read, and Ross reminded me in the same day, that the exhaust going all to one side is normal on startup due to a thermal valve under the drivers exhaust manifold. So this chapter hopefully is resolved.