Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and ElleShooTiger
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2009
- Messages
- 161
- Vehicle Year
- 1998
- Transmission
- Automatic
1998 Ranger 4.0L 4wd, recently swapped out the 5R55E to a 98 4.0L M5OD with supposed 44k miles. 
According to the salvage yard, it was was pulled roughly 4 years. I drained the fluid (it was a bit milky brownish) and refilled with fresh ATF. After the install, shifting into first and second was rather tough. At a stop light, it took a few tries to get it in first to take off, second gear was also tight to get into. Other gears shift fine. At first I thought the syncros were partially fried
After a few hundred miles, first and second have loosened up a LOT, maybe the old ATF just varnished the insides while it sat?? But they're still tricky sometimes.
I read somewhere that you can use something like GM Syncromesh additive to help smoothen the syncros and shifting. Is this worth trying? I'm going to do a fluid change soon anyway to flush any old fluid that remained inside. Its not a major nuisance, but it would be nice to shift into a gear the first time you try to.
According to the salvage yard, it was was pulled roughly 4 years. I drained the fluid (it was a bit milky brownish) and refilled with fresh ATF. After the install, shifting into first and second was rather tough. At a stop light, it took a few tries to get it in first to take off, second gear was also tight to get into. Other gears shift fine. At first I thought the syncros were partially fried
After a few hundred miles, first and second have loosened up a LOT, maybe the old ATF just varnished the insides while it sat?? But they're still tricky sometimes.
I read somewhere that you can use something like GM Syncromesh additive to help smoothen the syncros and shifting. Is this worth trying? I'm going to do a fluid change soon anyway to flush any old fluid that remained inside. Its not a major nuisance, but it would be nice to shift into a gear the first time you try to.
