Before the number 4 exhuast valve burnt, the car would only smoke after you added oil. That lead me to believe it was the valve stem seals, but after I removed the head I found lots of carbon build up on the pistons. My machine shop suggested it may be oil rings stuck, which in fact it was. So now I'm reringing and new bearings as well as a valve job to the head. Hopefully this thing will last him a long time when finished.

 

I want to thank everyone for their input about the smoking saturn.
UPDATE; Got engine back together with remaned head, new rings, bearings, and timing chain and gears. It ran sweet!! For a week, about 400 miles.
My son was on his way to work tonight herd a loud bang, so naturely I thought, did I touque the rods right? It lost tranny oil on the side of the interstate. I towed it home and the oil looks like it's coming from the bellhousing. WHY? Did this thing break the input shaft housing or something? I forgot to say it is a 5 speed not an automatic.
When doing the overhual I did not take the engine or tranny out of the car it was all inframe rebuild.
So I'm at a loss once again for some insight on what caused this thing to dump tranny oil.
BTW, tranny still pulls and shifts, didn't try all gears just 1st and reverse in order to load and unload on car dolley.

 

SNIP
I towed it home and the oil looks like it's coming from the bellhousing. WHY? Did this thing break the input shaft housing or something? I forgot to say it is a 5 speed not an automatic.
SNIP
Don't know for sure but first question, what was the transmission lubricant? 'Cause it is designed to use Dexron III automatic transmission fluid. If perchance is was filled with 90W, the oil passage holes are too small to pass that weight of lubricant and it oil starved it self out a bearing got hot and siezed and broke something expensive.
An alternative to Dexon III that has proven itself in the past is synthetic motor oil such as Mobil 1 20W50 which can be used in heavy duty applications and will lubricate better but is still light enough to go through oil passages. Not required for most applications though, early Saturns in my neck of the woods had developed a reputation for running upwards of 400,000 miles with out any measurable problems observered.

 

John in regards to your answer, I was calling it oil coming from the bellhousing but it was tranny fluid. After seeing it was tranny fluid gave some peace of mind I didn't mess up on the rebuild. LOL
I have never seen a tranny leak like this unless it was a front seal in an automatic. It just runs out bad. Is it possible the input shaft bearing froze and busted the housing?
Man, I don't want to tear this thing down again, but it looks like I have no choice. My son has limited funds so I'm doing all I can to help him. (Grandbaby coming in July)

 

Best wishes to you and your boy (and his family) with respect to the upcoming blessed event..........

 

SNIP
I have never seen a tranny leak like this unless it was a front seal in an automatic.
SNIP
I've been a shade tree mechanic most of my life, and an automotive hobbyist on a budget to boot. One of the best compliments I ever received was from a friend of mine who made a good living as a high tech. mechanic and junk yard operator was;
You'd never make a living as a mechanic! U just can't get things done quickly, but I wish I had some projects of mine done, like you have yours.
Since automotive marketing was taken over by appliance budget specialists I have seen some incredible failures take place due to automotive common sense equated to a bag of rocks. One of them being, you no longer need a clutch to shift gears. The result of which ended up sort of like you are describing. Don't know the answer, never had a standard let go like that. (unless it was flat abused) I did have a BorgWarner 4 speed make noises like the lubricant of choice was ground plate glass window when the pilot bearing on the engine woggled out (big engine pony car, driven like a big engine pony car) causing the input shaft bearing to go south. But by the 90's, marketing efforts seemed to be directed to having something to last at least as long as the warranty except those products coming from the far west that seemed to have learned lessons and profits from them by emulating Detroit, when GM alone represented 5% of the US GNP, but now is the leading contender in unemployment statistics.

 

I'm with you as far as being abused damage. But my son knows how and has in the past abused cars which cost him in the long run, I think he has learned his lesson now. That was he reason to go with a saturn for back and forth to work. But that has turned out to be not such a good idea, from what I could tell the pervious owner wasn't so nice to the car and I wasn't able to check it over before he bought it..my mistake too. I don't know what route to take now with this car, new engine and now maybe a new transmission, man, he's going have to drive it into the next century to justify all this.