rebuild of used transmission assembly

[LMHmedchem]

Hello,

My next issue to tackle is the transmission. It needs work and there are options. It may be that servo o-rings may fix the issue, but at 150,000+ I am guessing that the solenoids and other soft parts may need to be replaced, or will soon even if they don't now. I am not thrilled about spending $2500-$4000 to have a rebuilt installed by a trans shop because I'm not sure that the truck is worth that much given some other repairs I will also need to make.

My thought at the moment is to buy a used transmission from a salvage yard and rebuild it myself. Is that a realistic project? It seems as if I could get the parts to do a rebuild for <$500, so depending on what it would cost for the salvage transmission, there could be some savings. I could also get a re-manufactured RockAuto trans for $1540 with shipping, so I would have to get the salvage unit for less than $500 for it to make much sense. I also would have to ship the old unit back to RA for the core deposit and that won't be for free. If the project goes well, I could also rebuild my own trans and sell that off after I make the switch.

Would I have a better quality transmission by rebuilding an salvaged Ford transmission with good parts or by buying one like the TRANSMISSION AUTHORITY from RockAuto?
http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=4762245&cc=1377671&jsn=574

What would I expect to pay a salvage yard if I could find one in my area that has the right part? (v8, 4x4, 5R55S)

Is a full transmission assembly difficult/impossible to install without a lift?

Thanks for the advice,

LMHmedchem

 

[imp]

@LMHmedchem " Is a full transmission assembly difficult/impossible to install without a lift?"

By lift, if you mean Car Lift, then, yes, it can. I have been removing and replacing autos for 60 years without a vehicle lift. Much less convenient, though. A decent transmission jack on wheels is an essential, however. 5R55S is heavy as hell. Back in the day, the gearbox was separable from the converter housing, thus leaving the weight of the converter and housing hanging on the engine. Not so, anymore.

 

[LMHmedchem]

Thanks for the information. It always helps to hear from someone who has done it a few times, or more than a few. I usually do repairs with a 3-ton floor jack and a pair of jack stands. Will that, or 4-jack stands, get me enough clearance under the truck to get the transmission out? Would a pair of 6" or 8" ramps work better?

Can I use a transmission adapter on my floor jack or do I need an actual transmission jack? My floor jack isn't very wide and I'm not sure how stable it would be with a heavy trans on it.

Do you know what the 5R55S weighs? I haven't been able to reference that anywhere and I would like to know to make sure that all my tools would be up to the job.

I would guess one of the next things I need to do is to get underneath and make sure I can actually get the trans off. Does it make sense to spray everything with PB and see if I can get the bolts loose before I go any further?

LMHmedchem

 

[Chancellorsville]

I had to remove the front tires, and use two floor jacks. One with a transmission jack adaptor, the other with about 12" worth of random blocks of wood to lift the front end high enough to get the trans out from underneath.

Only other thing is to try and keep the trans tilted towards the rear so the torque converter doesn't slide off when you're pulling it out. That's where the adjustable trans jack adaptor really helps, and it'll be in the same orientation when you go to reinstall.

 

[Perana]

5r55s weight 82 kg (180 lbs) without fluids,torque converter or 4x4 transfer unit......weighed the one sittin' in the workshop...hope that helps?

 

[imp]

5r55s weight 82 kg (180 lbs) without fluids,torque converter or 4x4 transfer unit......weighed the one sittin' in the workshop...hope that helps?

Fluid drained (as much as possible), torque converter likely remains at least half-full, maybe full, due to anti-drain back requirement, figure converter dry at maybe 50lbs, it's fluid another 20lbs, so the whole shootin'match may be 150+ lbs.

Floor jack allows no means of tilting transmission to most beneficial angle, which is necessary to allow clearing of immovable parts in the way, heat shields, etc. imp

 

[imp]

Thanks for the information. It always helps to hear from someone who has done it a few times, or more than a few. I usually do repairs with a 3-ton floor jack and a pair of jack stands. Will that, or 4-jack stands, get me enough clearance under the truck to get the transmission out? Would a pair of 6" or 8" ramps work better?

Can I use a transmission adapter on my floor jack or do I need an actual transmission jack? My floor jack isn't very wide and I'm not sure how stable it would be with a heavy trans on it.

Do you know what the 5R55S weighs? I haven't been able to reference that anywhere and I would like to know to make sure that all my tools would be up to the job.

I would guess one of the next things I need to do is to get underneath and make sure I can actually get the trans off. Does it make sense to spray everything with PB and see if I can get the bolts loose before I go any further?

@LMHmedchem
Depends on size, quality of stands. Cheapies forget about. Ramps especially forget about; the formed steel ones have been known to collapse frequently. Walker stands are among the best. Stands will invariably get in your way underneath the vehicle. A good solution, IMO, is short pieces of railroad ties, perhaps 20 inches long, they are about 8X10 inches cross section if good ones, two placed under each tire will give you 16 inches plus whatever ground clearance normally exists, sufficient to roll around on a good creeper.

The exhaust system may or may not be in the way. The rear crossmember bolts are known to present problems, often breaking off before loosening. PB there a good idea. Support of the engine once the weight is removed from the rear mount is mandatory, and must be also be adjustable as the "tilt" is established. Look it all over first. 4X4? Removal of Transfer Case first, after driveshafts necessary. Bear in mind, if you get halfway, and enter territory which you cannot handle, you will be stuck. Then what? imp

 

[LMHmedchem]

After looking into this, like this post,

Megapost on Explorer Transmission Rebuild

it seems like it would cost me at least $800 for the parts to do a rebuild on my own. This does not include the cost of buying a salvage transmission in the first place. It is hard to see how I could get it done for less than $1000. Unless someone here disagrees with that budget estimation, I think it makes more sense to spend another $400 and get a re-manufactured model.

RockAuto has two models available,

EXACT POWERTRAIN T5R55S4602T4 Remanufactured 4WD 5R55S ($1,675 +$350 core deposit)

TRANSMISSION AUTHORITY T163012 Remanufactured 4WD 5R55S ($1,412 +$600 core deposit)

Is there a significant difference between these? I definitely need a new torque converter and the information on the Exact model does not specifically state that it includes a remanufactured torque converter like the TA models does. Maybe that's a dumb question to ask, but even dumber to not ask I think. Are there other good places to get a transmission, maybe one with a custom valve body or some other enhancements?

There is a DIY garage not too far from here where I can rent space, tools, and a lift for $40/hour or $160/day, so I think I will do that instead of trying this in the driveway. I need to replace the gasket on the oil filter mount and look at a few other things, so it would be nice to have it up on a lift.

Can anyone give advice about going with a bigger Oil Cooler? I have heard that is one issue with these transmissions. Since I live in the land of rust in the north east, should I plan on a new mount?

Thanks,

LMHmedchem

 

[scott9050]

I had mine rebuilt on my old 99 for $1,000 at a local shop which included all soft parts replaced. Drove fine for the 20,000 miles I put on it afterward.

 

[imp]

@LMHmedchem FWIW, Ford will not sell a remanufactured transmission without including a rebuilt torque converter. If the old converter is used several possible problems exist: it's clutch may be soon ready to give up the ghost, and, worse yet, bits of debris may be within the converter, ready to mess up the rebuilt trans. imp

 

[LMHmedchem]

FWIW, Ford will not sell a remanufactured transmission without including a rebuilt torque converter.

Thanks for the information. Does that include any remanufactured transmission from any vender like Exact Powertrain, etc, or does that just apply to a transmission purchased from Ford? I have needed a new torque converter ever since I got this particular truck, so I wasn't going to replace the transmission without addressing that.

Do you have an opinion on weather the Exact Powertrain or Transmission Authority models from RockAuto are different in any meaningful way (other than the $250 price difference that is)? Is there somewhere else other than RockAuto you would look to get a remanufactured transmission, like from a Ford dealer? It would be nice to get 100,000 to 150,000 out of this if possible.

LMHmedchem

 

[imp]

Thanks for the information. Does that include any remanufactured transmission from any vender like Exact Powertrain, etc, or does that just apply to a transmission purchased from Ford? I have needed a new torque converter ever since I got this particular truck, so I wasn't going to replace the transmission without addressing that.

Do you have an opinion on weather the Exact Powertrain or Transmission Authority models from RockAuto are different in any meaningful way (other than the $250 price difference that is)? Is there somewhere else other than RockAuto you would look to get a remanufactured transmission, like from a Ford dealer? It would be nice to get 100,000 to 150,000 out of this if possible.

LMHmedchem

@LMHmedchem
Sorry, I can't answer your questions about viability of one or the other's parts offerings. When I needed a rebuilt for my '96 Explorer, I found Ford's warranty to be the best: 36,000 miles/36 months. The O'Reilly warranty was 90 days, period, for a couple hundred bucks less. Do not know if others sell rebuilt without a converter. imp

 

[LMHmedchem]

When I needed a rebuilt for my '96 Explorer, I found Ford's warranty to be the best: 36,000 miles/36 months. The O'Reilly warranty was 90 days, period, for a couple hundred bucks less.

The warranties on the RockAuto brands are pretty good. The Exact Powertrain model is 24 months/24,000 miles and the Transmission Authority model is 18 months/100,000 miles.

Where did you get a re-manufactured Ford transmission? I have looked at some Ford parts websites but they seem to want $3500-$4000 just for the transmission. The RockAuto models are $1545-$1800 shipped after the core exchange. I guess that could mean that they are not well made but there is no way to know unless there are more posts from users who have installed them.

Since I am going to do the installation myself, I hope to get this done fro less than $2000 more or less. At this point I am leaning toward the Transmission authority since it is $250 less and I would like to replace/upgrade the oil cooler and do a few other minor fixes at the same time.

LMHmedchem

 

[imp]

The warranties on the RockAuto brands are pretty good. The Exact Powertrain model is 24 months/24,000 miles and the Transmission Authority model is 18 months/100,000 miles.

Where did you get a re-manufactured Ford transmission? I have looked at some Ford parts websites but they seem to want $3500-$4000 just for the transmission. The RockAuto models are $1545-$1800 shipped after the core exchange. I guess that could mean that they are not well made but there is no way to know unless there are more posts from users who have installed them.

Since I am going to do the installation myself, I hope to get this done fro less than $2000 more or less. At this point I am leaning toward the Transmission authority since it is $250 less and I would like to replace/upgrade the oil cooler and do a few other minor fixes at the same time.

LMHmedchem

@LMHmedchem
If I remember right, the Ford reman was about $2400, which reflected some discount from retail. This was 10 or 12 years ago, so a bit foggy. Ford reman. included an in-line filter and rebuilt converter. Warranty void if filter not installed. The reman worked fine. I imagine the major suppliers are fairly reliable. But reminds me of the guy selling me an engine long ago out of a boneyard, "guaranteed to be free of knocks, leaks, or cracks, bring it back if bad". Yeah, sure, do the labor several times over, to achieve satisfaction! imp

 

[Drewmcg]

There's a youtube video of a guy replacing a transmission on his 'sploder in his garage by jacking up the truck. There are also videos (one particularly good one) about dealing with those busted trans cross-member support bolts drive them out with impact driver and fish new bolts through frame with magnet). There's a rebuilder in northern Indiana that sells this trans rebuilt for around $1800 (sorry; forget the name and the warranty).

If you could find a local ATRA shop that would rebuild your trans and re-install for under $2k with new torque converter, with warranty, you'd be better off IMHO.

For my 185k miles trans (same as yours, though set up for 2wd and 4.0 SOHC), I did the $200 servo bore replacement kit when the O/D light started flashing and no overdrive. Didn't have to drop the trans, which was a huge benefit. I did swap in a lower-mileage (116k) torque converter when I had the engine out for timing chain repair, and swapped in the 116k solenoids, too. Didn't mess with valve body. Got almost all of the Motorcraft Mercon V fluid replaced with the swapping of torque converter, and installed new Motorcraft trans filter (though original one did not look bad).

If you go with rebuilt trans, be sure to at least blow out/use a solvent-based pressurized aerosol solution to clean out old trans cooler (or replace). If there is junk in the old cooler from a failed trans you don't want to re-introduce that crap into your rebuilt one. Good luck.

 

[LMHmedchem]

If you could find a local ATRA shop that would rebuild your trans and re-install for under $2k with new torque converter, with warranty, you'd be better off IMHO.

I went and talked to the owner at the local ATRA (who I have known for a while) and he quoted me $2700 to do a rebuild. This is about $1000 more than I wanted to spend because I think I can do it myself for $1700-$1900. I don't know how to judge whether rebuilding my trans or buying a remanufactured from Transmission Authority will result in the most reliable vehicle. It seems like the Transmission Authority would have more of it's parts replaced but I don't know what they use for parts (I don't want to end up with a Dorman solenoid pack) and they are in Wisconsin so my options are limited if there are issues. If the local shop came in closer to $2000 I would have had less of a problem with that.

If you go with rebuilt trans, be sure to at least blow out/use a solvent-based pressurized aerosol solution to clean out old trans cooler (or replace). If there is junk in the old cooler from a failed trans you don't want to re-introduce that crap into your rebuilt one.

I will replace the oil cooler, hopefully with a bit bigger model.

LMHmedchem