Please Help with 5r55s transmission

Hello, I have a 2004 Explorer V6 that had OD light flashing. Seemed to shift out fine with exception of an occasional whine around 2nd or 3rd. Had trouble code p0741 torque converter. Tranny fluid was brownish and began to smell. Pulled pan to change fluid so while I was in it I pulled solenoid pack and valve body.

Separator plate gasket has damage around the area I think is the torque converter lock valve and the thermostatic activated valve.

Intermediate band seemed real loose. Adjustment made with 10 ft lbs and back off 1.5 - 2 turns.

Everything cleaned well. Found some metal fines on magnet. No chunks or parts in pan.

Replaced the separator plate with new one from Ford with bonded gaskets. Torqued everything down and refilled with Mercon V. I put 8 quarts in and am not getting any overflow out yet. Truck will not move forwards or back now.

Does it sound like I still need more fluid or does it sound like I may have done something wrong?

Any Help Please. I'm out of vehicles as my truck spun a rod bearing and my other Explorer lost its transmission 6 days after that.

Thanks

Does it feel like it is shifting into F/R at all? When I dropped my valve body I made a mistake in lining up the plunger with the pin on the manual shifter linkage and it wouldn't shift into either gear correctly at all. Can you verify that you correctly re-connected that?

I believe it is lined up correctly. When I first finished and pushed it off the ramps to level it up, before adding more fluid, it changed into reverse and forward with a hard shift, then it began doing nothing. I think it had some old fluid still that let it engage for a moment.

I'd start with the easiest thing: fluid level. When I had mine apart a few months back I swore up and down I put enough fluid in it but it performed like garbage. 2 additional quarts later it was damned-near brand new feeling in the way it shifted.

One other thing I forgot about. I disconnected the return cooler line to circulate some more of the old brown fluid out. It did flush to more of a red color but could I have somehow got air in the pump.

With draining the transmission as far as I did, do I need to prime the pump or converter.

Just trying to get info for in the morning. I'm stuck at the Fire Station tonight and can't add any more fluid until the A.M.

Thanks

I would add more fluid until it runs out of the fill hole, it sounds like its just low, don't worry you don't have to prime anything it will fill on its own with the engine running.

Need advise ASAP

Ok I just put 4 more quarts of fluid in for a total of 12. Still no forward or reverse engagement. Pulled transmission cooler line and nothing comes out. Fixing to drain and pull pan again to check shift linkage. I did see a video on YouTube and again information on here about changing around the orientation of the cooler valve in the valve body so I did that to give full time cooler flow.

Was spring, valve, themo device then cap
Now Valve, Spring with thermo device inside then cap.

As above - I pulled pan, removed and check solenoid, replaced separator plate with bonded gaskets. re torqued everything and re filled.

Any suggestions before I open it up again?

I dont know about the mod for the cooler flow, I have never seen a need for that kind of mod for this tranny.

It would help to know if there is any line pressure, cooler flow pressure and line pressure are separate, you can have line pressure and no cooler flow but it still should engage into gear. Obviously you wont have cooler flow without line pressure though.

If no line pressure I would suspect the pump, the number one cause of pump failure after install is because of the converter wasn't fully seated into the pump before the trans was bolted back to the engine. When the engine was started it broke the pump.

Thanks for the response. I am going to reverse the mod for cooler flow. I did not remove the transmission for the repair I did everything on my back with transmission still in explorer.

The old separator plate has visible lines for the veins of the valve body and the transmission. The new one does not. I assumed that would happen when it was torqued, however when I took it back out today i was still nice and flat. So do these marks appear due to fluid flow or maybe it was not torques enough. I need to check but I think the valve body bolts were torqued to 78 inch lbs.

You can see the veins I am referring to here on page 19 and 20.

http://www.ratiotek.com/5r55w-complete.pdf

We just bought the explorer a week ago and my wife is all upset that I have F'ed it up now. This is out primary ride.

Anyone Please

Thanks

Bump Bump

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You should make sure that the manual valve is properly indexed on the internal linkage like pet575 said. Its a common mistake after removing the valve body.

This is a pic of a 5R55E but its the same concept.

Thanks for the pic. I was hoping that would have been it but I had it correct. Putting pan on now then re fill. I reversed the cooler valve back to stock. Removed and re torques valve body and solenoid pack. Re tested solenoid pack. Fingers Crossed

Have you got the special adapter that screws into the oil pan drain bolt or do you fill it through one of the speed sensor holes? Because you NEED to carry out correct procedure to check the level. I know it is a pain in the back side level checking these trannys.
You need about 5 quarts for a pan drop before you check the level. How many miles has it got on your truck?

Nice photo james!
I forgot to connect it when i re installed my valve body i removed the roll pin on the shaft and the shaft moved allowing me to realign it.
Hope you can fix STICK

I have a home made adapter for the fill port on bottom. Ford does not sell it, they told me to get it off of the tool truck. Like it comes to my house or something.

All back together and still nothing.

Checking to see how to pressure test. Don't think the pump is working although it worked fine before I did my repair.

Truck has 101k on it.

Rattle noise coming from bell housing like a small rock in in a dryer. Think this is new. Just got the truck a week ago so not failure with its normal noises.

I'm at a loss. Vehicle will not move after valve body separator replacement. Filled transmission with 14 quarts fluid. Still nothing. Manual valve attached to sifter correctly. Fluid does not get hot or even warm after 10 - 15 minutes running.

Anything is possible but is it feasible that the new filter does not allow flow? Rubber rings are in place. Torques correctly.

Only other thing is the pump just up and broke while the vehicle was up on stands not running. HAHA can't see that happening.

Anything? Anyone?

So removal and investigation are in order but my theory is the hard shift I described in my first post was not a hard shift but rather my pump gear breaking.

I'm thinking that my main problem all along was a torque converter coming apart. I had no large bits of metal in the pan only very small hair like pieces on the magnet.

When I drained the fluid I think it caused a suction effect and pulled metal out of the converter or cooler lines into the pump.

I think this because with nothing else working I was going on the idea that my new filter was defective and not allowing flow, so i droped the pan a third time to swap back in the old filter that I knew worked, well the new filter is full of very course metal bits not like the ones on the magnet.

Any thoughts before I drop this beast in my driveway? JK080?

JK080 you anywhere near Athens Ga in case I want to get this done by someone other than me?

I would agree, I believe the problem all along could have been a failing pump and converter, thats why they were selling the vehicle.

P0741 code indicates the converter wasn't going into lockup and with the fluid condition the way is was and now a noise, it really just needs to be rebuilt even if you did get it to move again.

I am in Roswell.

I know the "best and most correct" thing to do is a total rebuild, however is it feasible to just replace the pump and torque converter. I had no metal in the valve body and the bands and inside of the transmission looked clean, uniform grey/silver color. Not trying to be cheap but I am broke as hell at the moment.

What does a reman tranny run for this explorer?

I think it is a 5r55s but have seen where w's were used until 2005

Mine 2004 xlt 4.0 SOHC v6. I can provide vin if needed.

Found this. Is it a good deal?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5R55W-5R55S...Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cce83f8a5&vxp=mtr