Topic: White smoke and oil coming from shift nob 78' CB 550k

[ror10002]

Hey ya'll,
I have a 1978 CB 550k that I am restoring and I started it up for the first time the other day, it had sat for 12 years, and it started up like a champ and ran off choke within 4 minutes and was purring like a kitten.   I changed the oil but after I noticed there was white smoke coming off the engine as well as a drip of oil coming from around the shifter nob area.  Just wondering if this was a serious problem with the engine or if it was simply because it had not ran in 12 years.  Also, is it possible I put too much oil in?  I put about 3 quarts in which is a lot less than what I drained out of it but still in the range it called for. (there was roughly a little over a liter of oil that I drained out of it.)  Or is it possible I didn't put enough oil in which would cause the white smoke.  I haven't started it since as I wanted to make sure I didn't do any damage to the motor if something was seriously off...better safe than sorry.  Any tips you guys have or advice I will greatly appreciate.  Ya'll take care and I look forward to the input!

[dave500]

the white smoke might be 12 years of dusty crud or if you washed it type of stuff steaming off,you did the filter aswell?,itll take 3.2 litres with the filter,you might have age hardend seals behind the chain cover,theres about five of them in behind that cover,most likely the shifter shaft seal?

[TwoTired]

White smoke is almost always water vapor.  If it continues 15 minutes after the engine and trans have totally reached operating temp., then worry.

Shifter shaft seals routinely harden and weep, particularly if the previous, er, "mechanic" has nicked up the shaft where the seal contacts with a chisel  .  Or, has nicked the seal lip on the splines during installation.

Why don't you use the dipstick to determine the proper oil level?