Ford Techs - 5R55E Question

[Jspafford]

I am hopeful... If this does not solve it I may let it go for a while until it start having other symptoms until I change the valve body.

With Christmas, I don't want to spend $300 on it, but I don't want it to ruin either.

I think my 2001 Ranger ALWAYS had slow engagement and it never had the 1st gear braking, and I drove it for 20K before I traded it on the F250.

 

[WNY964x4]

the valve body would not have to be replaced , they used too thin of a gasket that caused blowouts and in turn slow engagement , the repair is an upgraded valve body gasket that is thicker

 

[Bent Bolt]

If your sport trac was built before 12/1/2001 , there may be a chance that the VB gasket is blown out. No , your truck does not fit the classic symptoms but I've seen failed gaskets do very weird things including no forward gears but reverse OK.

But have a look at the filter o-rings first. Or you could just get the updated parts anyway and install them at the same time. You will have to remove the valve body though.

1L5Z-7Z490-CA is the plate. 1L5Z-7Z490-HA works too if the other one is not in stock.
3L5Z-7M203-JA is the service kit.

Get the filter and a pan gasket as well.

 

[Jspafford]

Door tag says MFG 12/2001

I have the stuff for the filter change... I will just do it and cross my fingers. I only have one day a week to work on shit, I work all the time and just want to get it done so I know!

 

[Jspafford]

Well I changed the filter. Was not as bad as I thought. My issue was I only had a round drain pan. So once I got it down to the last bolt, and all the fluid had drained over the edge but the whole pan was still full. So I just finally bit the bullet and pulled the bolt. It was not bad, just wiggled it out and poured it into the catch basin.

Long story short. The filter was original AFAIK, the head on the bolt was bigger than the head on the bolt that came with the new filter, which leads me to believe it was original.

The fluid was in OK shape. The O-rings looked fine. I ran my finger all the way around the black gasket on the valve body and did not feel any blowouts of non existance of said gasket.

Cleaned the pan. The magnet was coated with black shit. There was even a drop of black shit in the very bottom round area where the pickup is.

Put in the new filter. New gasket, torqued to 10ft-lb's refilled with 4.5qts and started. Shifted through gears, which I had none for about 20 seconds. Then they came back. Checked the fluid again, it was fine.

Put it in reverse, delay still there......damn!

But, I think the delay going into drive was not as noticeable.

Took it around the neighborhood and it seemed to shift a little better. Probably the clean fluid and better flowing less restricted filter.

I think I am going to unplug the battery and let the computer relearn the shift strategy.

Should I be worried about black shit on the magnet if it's not been cleaned since being assembled?

Edit... When going into gear it is so easy you can't even tell it shifted into drive... unless you hear the engine drop or give it a little gas. I would think when first engaging there would be a noticeable jerk in the driveline..

I dunno.

 

[Bruce]

They (5r55e) have issues with the forward control valve hanging which causes hesitation in which shift kit will address this...next issue is the EPC failure where it lets the pressure drop to low at idle and will cause a gear change delay from forward to reverse..i think they about 100 bucks now. In all the hundreds of these trans i have done i have never seen a blowed valve body gasket yet.



Just my .002 cents worth.

This is a 5R55E and not a 5R55W or 5R55S cuase they started putting some of these in the explorer

 

[Jspafford]

Unplugged the battery and left for a few hours...

Hooked it back up, and tried again. Seemed to shift into gear faster.

Let the wife drive it for the first time since the flush, and she says it seems better. Feels like it shifts into gear better now, so I am done with it.

Thanks all!