5R55E TCC won't lock up and hard 1-2 Shift

[Jlaporte0487]

So here’s my problem - I have a 1997 Ranger 177,000 miles, 4X4, 4.0L, with a 5R55E transmission. It has been throwing code P1744 and once threw code P0756. The problem has been getting worse but for a while if I was in OD and I had to slow down and the transmission downshifted it wouldn’t lock up the torque converter and then would have a really hard 1-2 shift. If I parked the truck, turned off the motor, and let it sit for about five minutes it would shift fine again until it downshifted from OD again. Over time this began to happen more frequently until the TCC almost never locked up. I recently replaced the valve body with a rebuilt valve body from Valve Body Xpress. This rebuilt valve body has a new EPC solenoid and has seven updates. VBX tested the other solenoids including the TCC solenoid. Now my truck always has a hard 1-2 shift and a hard 2-1 downshift and the TCC is still as reluctant to lock up as it was before. I’ve noticed that the TCC never locks up going uphill but only locks up going downhill. My transmission is still throwing code P1744. I have changed the fluid and filter several times over the last few years and I adjusted the bands on two occasions in the last five or six years. A few years back I did put too much transmission fluid in it but it didn’t cause issues at the time and now the transmission has the correct amount of fluid. I know the valve body is good, but my transmission is still having issues and more than just the TCC so I’m guessing it can’t be just the torque converter.

I haven’t been able to find much about a problem like this online so would anyone have any idea of what might be causing this? Could there be an issue with a speed sensor which is throwing my transmission out of sync? I found a thread where someone said these transmissions had a recall where the fix was to disconnect the overdrive drum sensor, cut the wires, and wire them together. Has anyone ever heard of this? Here’s the thread: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=317478

Thanks for the help