2002 Ford Ranger Edge No Reverse Drives in Neutral Moves Forward 2 ft in Reverse

[DFWFordSVT]

Have a 2002 Ford Ranger Edge with 3.0 L, 5R44E with 210,000 miles. The truck lost reverse at about 203,000 miles. I have been following the forums sometime reviewing all forum info especially Glacier. My background is aircraft engineering and A&P mechanic. Also, Paint and Body. Very mechanically incline.

The truck has no reverse. It will start in Park and Neutral. When starting in Neutral, you must have your foot on the brake to prevent the truck from moving forward. It will drive in Neutral up until about 30 miles an hour and then you have to shift the selector in Drive in order to continue. It drives normal in all forward gears D, 1, and 2. No problems with overdrive.

I dropped the trans pan. Installed a new Ford Seperator plate with the bonded gasket on both side. The gasket on the valve body was broken at the Reverse servo. While I had the valve body out, I installed a Sonnex pressure booster. Followed valve body on the 5R55E. I left the transmission drip out for about 2 days then installed the new seperator plate and torque the valve body to factory specs with my Snap-On Electronic 1/4 inch pound torque wrench plus angle. Installed a new Oring and gasket on the reverse servo.

My overdrive servo is leaking. I'm currently going through 2 to 3 qts of trans fluid daily. I installed a new piston, and seal for the overdrive servo. After installation, I still had fluid leak but it slowed it down. I drove the vehicle from Chicago to DFW. When I got to DFW, the leak from the overdrive servo got worse. It has an "AB" cover. When I have my local dealer run my Vin #, Ford is saying that the overdrive servo should have the largest diameter cover "ZC" 2.317 inch bore and Piston "ZA". But my transmission has AB cover in the overdrive and a BA cover in the intermediate servo.

So at this point, I'm trying to determine what is exactly wrong with it. I don't want to spend $2100 on a new transmission and find out that doesn't fix the problem. I'm start to think that I might have a bad valve body which is causing the transmission to engage forward for R, N, D, 1, and 2. I could go to Ford and get them to try to troubleshoot, but I think Ford is just parts changers and don't really have the ability to troubleshoot. A Ford Service Manager should have seen enough of these trucks with this problem and have some idea what is causing it without me having to spend $200 and above for them to troubleshoot to determine what is causing it.

The second thing is that I'm to get confirmation from Ford is what components get replaced on a Ford Remanufactured Transmission. And specifically what design improvements are being incorporated in a 5R44E. I'm also searched all the over the net to get specific details on the component difference between the 5R44E and the 5R55E. Is the Ford Remanufactured Transmission worth it or is it better to build it myself?

 

[1992fordgreen]

With 210k, you're probably looking at a rebuild in the future. Valve body is a good place to start since the replacement is somewhat forward and the parts are cheap. Start with cheap and ggo from there,.

 

[JK080]

Your description of your problem sounds like the forward clutch is stuck on all the time.

You say you have no reverse, could it be in a bind? like you are trying to go with the brakes on?

If so the forward clutch is stuck on, most likely due to the clutch plates are stuck together (welded). This happens with the clutch starts to slip and gets hot enough to weld the clutches together, this prevents them from releasing for reverse and you are actually trying to go forward and reverse at the same time (bind up). This is also why it pulls forward in neutral.

The transmission would need to be replaced or rebuilt to repair this.

 

[DFWFordSVT]

1992fordgreen and JK080 thanks for your posts.

JK080, yes, I have heard that my forward clutch could be welded together. How do I tell if the transmission is in a bind? It doesn't feel like it's trying to go with the brakes on. Would there be any indication with the gear selector in neutral and the engine turned off (no hydraulic pressure)? It rolls forward and aft very easily. I back up by putting it in neutral and make sure I park on an incline.

I ordered the overdrive servo cover from Ford today. I'm going to first see if I can stop the leak from the overdrive servo. I have another project that is taking priority. I agree that I need to either replace the transmission or rebuild mine.

Am I better off rebuilding my transmission or buying the remanufactured 5R44E transmission from Ford? Can a 5R44E be upgraded with 5R55E components to make it equivalent to the 5R55E?

 

[PopRichie77]

The parts are basically the same so no to any upgrade.
When you put it in reverse with your foot off the brake, what happens?
I didn't know they had a bonded separator plate for the 4R55E, thought it only came for the 5R55E trans, the 2 are different and not interchangeable.

 

[RCK]

Have a 2002 Ford Ranger Edge with 3.0 L, 5R44E with 210,000 miles. The truck lost reverse at about 203,000 miles. I have been following the forums sometime reviewing all forum info especially Glacier. My background is aircraft engineering and A&P mechanic. Also, Paint and Body. Very mechanically incline.

The truck has no reverse. It will start in Park and Neutral. When starting in Neutral, you must have your foot on the brake to prevent the truck from moving forward. It will drive in Neutral up until about 30 miles an hour and then you have to shift the selector in Drive in order to continue. It drives normal in all forward gears D, 1, and 2. No problems with overdrive.

I dropped the trans pan. Installed a new Ford Seperator plate with the bonded gasket on both side. The gasket on the valve body was broken at the Reverse servo. While I had the valve body out, I installed a Sonnex pressure booster. Followed valve body on the 5R55E. I left the transmission drip out for about 2 days then installed the new seperator plate and torque the valve body to factory specs with my Snap-On Electronic 1/4 inch pound torque wrench plus angle. Installed a new Oring and gasket on the reverse servo.

My overdrive servo is leaking. I'm currently going through 2 to 3 qts of trans fluid daily. I installed a new piston, and seal for the overdrive servo. After installation, I still had fluid leak but it slowed it down. I drove the vehicle from Chicago to DFW. When I got to DFW, the leak from the overdrive servo got worse. It has an "AB" cover. When I have my local dealer run my Vin #, Ford is saying that the overdrive servo should have the largest diameter cover "ZC" 2.317 inch bore and Piston "ZA". But my transmission has AB cover in the overdrive and a BA cover in the intermediate servo.

So at this point, I'm trying to determine what is exactly wrong with it. I don't want to spend $2100 on a new transmission and find out that doesn't fix the problem. I'm start to think that I might have a bad valve body which is causing the transmission to engage forward for R, N, D, 1, and 2. I could go to Ford and get them to try to troubleshoot, but I think Ford is just parts changers and don't really have the ability to troubleshoot. A Ford Service Manager should have seen enough of these trucks with this problem and have some idea what is causing it without me having to spend $200 and above for them to troubleshoot to determine what is causing it.

The second thing is that I'm to get confirmation from Ford is what components get replaced on a Ford Remanufactured Transmission. And specifically what design improvements are being incorporated in a 5R44E. I'm also searched all the over the net to get specific details on the component difference between the 5R44E and the 5R55E. Is the Ford Remanufactured Transmission worth it or is it better to build it myself?

 

[RCK]

Have a 2002 Ford Ranger Edge with 3.0 L, 5R44E with 210,000 miles. The truck lost reverse at about 203,000 miles. I have been following the forums sometime reviewing all forum info especially Glacier. My background is aircraft engineering and A&P mechanic. Also, Paint and Body. Very mechanically incline.

The truck has no reverse. It will start in Park and Neutral. When starting in Neutral, you must have your foot on the brake to prevent the truck from moving forward. It will drive in Neutral up until about 30 miles an hour and then you have to shift the selector in Drive in order to continue. It drives normal in all forward gears D, 1, and 2. No problems with overdrive.

I dropped the trans pan. Installed a new Ford Seperator plate with the bonded gasket on both side. The gasket on the valve body was broken at the Reverse servo. While I had the valve body out, I installed a Sonnex pressure booster. Followed valve body on the 5R55E. I left the transmission drip out for about 2 days then installed the new seperator plate and torque the valve body to factory specs with my Snap-On Electronic 1/4 inch pound torque wrench plus angle. Installed a new Oring and gasket on the reverse servo.

My overdrive servo is leaking. I'm currently going through 2 to 3 qts of trans fluid daily. I installed a new piston, and seal for the overdrive servo. After installation, I still had fluid leak but it slowed it down. I drove the vehicle from Chicago to DFW. When I got to DFW, the leak from the overdrive servo got worse. It has an "AB" cover. When I have my local dealer run my Vin #, Ford is saying that the overdrive servo should have the largest diameter cover "ZC" 2.317 inch bore and Piston "ZA". But my transmission has AB cover in the overdrive and a BA cover in the intermediate servo.

So at this point, I'm trying to determine what is exactly wrong with it. I don't want to spend $2100 on a new transmission and find out that doesn't fix the problem. I'm start to think that I might have a bad valve body which is causing the transmission to engage forward for R, N, D, 1, and 2. I could go to Ford and get them to try to troubleshoot, but I think Ford is just parts changers and don't really have the ability to troubleshoot. A Ford Service Manager should have seen enough of these trucks with this problem and have some idea what is causing it without me having to spend $200 and above for them to troubleshoot to determine what is causing it.

The second thing is that I'm to get confirmation from Ford is what components get replaced on a Ford Remanufactured Transmission. And specifically what design improvements are being incorporated in a 5R44E. I'm also searched all the over the net to get specific details on the component difference between the 5R44E and the 5R55E. Is the Ford Remanufactured Transmission worth it or is it better to build it myself?