Saturn rear suspension work

[Saturnguy]

Had my hands in the Saturn's rear end this last week... major rebuild
Loud clunking noise back there...

All from Rock Auto, Famous Brands, Advanced Auto closeouts (Carquest label)

Two rear sway bar links
Two rear bearings
Two rear shoes
Two rear drums
Two new brake self adjusters, R and L
One bag of brake hardware

Also oil (85516), air filters (88108), oil change (4 quarts of Mobil 1 ESP 0W-30, 1/2 quart Mobil 1 Racing 0W-30
blower motor, and spark plugs (NGK 2756, BKR6E-11)

Yes, that is the wrong oil filter and wrong spark plug for the Saturn.
Clunk appears to be gone, for now....

 

[Kira]

Any particular step provide a lesson or feeling of extreme satisfaction?
Why did you use the wrong OF and sparkie-poos?

 

[Saturnguy]

Plugs are one heat range colder, car gets a lot of highway driving
Oil filter, if it fits, it sits. 3614 verses 3600

This repair took me the better part of a week...
A little slow these days, getting old

 

[eljefino]

Heck yeah, keep these old s-cars on the road!

 

[spasm3]

Heck yeah, keep these old s-cars on the road!

My son is still driving an 02 sc1 I gave him.

 

[nascarnation]

If this is an S, how's the oil consumption? I think these would be a great candidate for Valvoline R&P.

 

[spasm3]

If this is an S, how's the oil consumption? I think these would be a great candidate for Valvoline R&P.

I've taken them apart before. The reason they got such good fuel mileage is low tension rings, especially the oil control rings.
Even if they are not coked up, they would lose tension.
So you had an engine with good compression but no tension on the oil control rings. So they would burn oil cleanly.

My earlier saturn would burn a quart in 500 miles but not smoke.

I doubt VPR would fix these.
Won't hurt to try it though.

 

[nascarnation]

I've taken them apart before. The reason they got such good fuel mileage is low tension rings, especially the oil control rings.
Even if they are not coked up, they would lose tension.
So you had an engine with good compression but no tension on the oil control rings. So they would burn oil cleanly.

My earlier saturn would burn a quart in 500 miles but not smoke.

I doubt VPR would fix these.
Won't hurt to try it though.

I thought it was more the lack of drainback holes behind the oil ring groove. And the drain slots connecting the groove to the pin recess would get restricted.

 

[Saturnguy]

Drainback grooves on the pistons would clog, leading to crud on the rings.

Hence the ACEA C3 light duty diesel oil…