5R55E hard reverse shift when cold

[sd02FX4]

I have looked at a lot of 5R55E threads, but have not been able to find any with the same symptoms as i have been experiencing. If this problem is already up somewhere let me know.

2002 FX4- 4.0 SOHC, 5R55E, 4.10s. 116000 miles

My transmission has been slamming into reverse when cold (sitting overnight), this happens when going from park, neutral, or drive into reverse. It jerks the truck and makes an audible clunking noise as it engages. once its in reverse, it works fine. It will shift perfectly fine into drive from any gear when cold, no slam/clunk. Once I have driven the truck and given it a chance to warm up, it goes into reverse without a fuss. Drive runs through all forward gears fine wether its cold or warmed up.

Once in a great while, the tranny does hesitate between first and second, as in it holds on to first longer than normal, and then slams forward into second. Like I said, this does not happen frequently at all, and will only do it once a trip.

Ford flushed and replaced the fluid, and told me it was 'on its way out'... but couldn't tell me why. I do not experience the 2-3 shift flare, and I still have compression braking in manual 1st gear, so this leads me to think its not the common valve body gremlin, but the truck was built in 2001, so I guess it can't be completely ruled out.

Any insight is helpful. thanks in advance.

 

[ElleShooTiger]

Its the common valve body gremlim where the separator plate gaskets blow out around the reverse servo. It leaks a lot of pressure and makes it hard to engage the reverse band. Eventually, your reverse will engage sloooowwwwllllyyyy and chatter if you give it any gas, and later on fail to engage at all.

I replaced the gaskets in mine, but the valve body was fubared due to all the wear particles from the slipping reverse. Put it back together and reverse worked again, but it would stay in first and second forever. After a week, it wouldnt shift out of first and reverse died again, so I swapped to a manual. $1,700 for parts and labor, but now I know its gonna shift

 

[sd02FX4]

hey, thanks for the reply.
I did consider a pressure leak somewhere, since it would have none built up when cold, hence the problem, but developed more pressure through being driven and warmed up, making a less noticeable issue when warm.