- Joined
- Mar 28, 2026
- Messages
- 14
- Points
- 101
- City
- Pittsburgh
- State - Country
- PA - USA
- Vehicle Year
- 1995
- Vehicle
- Ford Ranger
- Drive
- 4WD
- Engine
- 3.0L
- Transmission
- Automatic
- Total Lift
- 2"
Hello all. I've been putting some mileage on my '95 STX 3.0l auto truck. I had to take the 4R44E down to replace the front seal on the trans and the rear main on the 3.0l. While I had it out I put in a new valve body, a transgo kit, filter, and a Dorman pan with a drain plug. The truck is running well and the transmission goes into gear quickly.
BUT, I've noticed on some uphill sections of road the trans will shift up too early rather than holding say 2nd or 3rd gear. This happens at different speeds and different degrees of hill, but the effect is the same. It takes the 3.0l out of its powerband and lugs the motor by shifting into too high a gear. Foot to the floor does not seem to have an impact. It will also bounce between the gears, making for a jerky experience. After a few seconds of this it will finally hold the proper low gear until the point that it should shift, which it does.
I'm just wondering if anyone has any insights. Searching has yielded nothing, typically people have the opposite problem, where a trans can't hold a high gear and keeps downshifting prematurely, or slipping the trans.
BUT, I've noticed on some uphill sections of road the trans will shift up too early rather than holding say 2nd or 3rd gear. This happens at different speeds and different degrees of hill, but the effect is the same. It takes the 3.0l out of its powerband and lugs the motor by shifting into too high a gear. Foot to the floor does not seem to have an impact. It will also bounce between the gears, making for a jerky experience. After a few seconds of this it will finally hold the proper low gear until the point that it should shift, which it does.
I'm just wondering if anyone has any insights. Searching has yielded nothing, typically people have the opposite problem, where a trans can't hold a high gear and keeps downshifting prematurely, or slipping the trans.
