How to: 5R55E Valve Body Rebuild Diary

[2001ExpSport]

1) I'm not too comfortable mixing and matching fixes, that is why I plan on doing the Ford only mods (kit, bonded plate and probably the bracket). Am I missing out on anything else that will help preserve the transmission? I'm not looking to improve anything, just extend life.

2) All the kits (Ford, Transgo, and Superior) seem like they address overpressure with the EPC. Another forum that I frequent has suggested that adjusting the pressure regulator on the EPC itself (1/4 to 1/2 turn clockwise) can help with flare and shift problems, thereby increasing pressure. Won't this compound the problem?

3) While doing this project I may or may not get new solenoids, low miles after all and she really is running good. Someone mentioned you can get all six for a pretty good price, does anyone know where and how much?

4) Can I buy the double lipped reverse soleniod seal by itself and if so, where?

5) Lastly, I plan on installing a drain plug and remote filter, is there anyway that the filter can do any harm like restrict flow or something like that?

I've been on alot of forums but this one is stellar. Thanks in advance for any help.

Tim

Welcome to the site, I will try to answer all of your questions and hopefully Glacier can add his input as well.

1)The Ford Kit is a stand alone update for the 5R55E. The Superior and Transgo kits are modifications or correction kits. Glacier pointed out that the Transgo kit was almost identical to the Ford TSB so you would want to get either/or and the consensus here is the Ford TSB kit. The Superior kit is helpful when you have malfunctions that can be corrected. I did post a few web sites where this information is available. If you are going to go through the trouble of dropping the pan and the VB then I suggest you do as much as you can while the oppurtunity exists. I'll leave this decision up to you.

2)The transgo and Superior kits address an UNDER pressure issue. According to Superior their pressure riser will increase transmission line pressure 5psi+/-. If there was a way to adjust the EPC, Glacier would have put it in the diary.

3)At 46k you can skip the solenoids unless you get a code, but if it will serve as piece of mind then by all means replace them.Solenoid kits

4)See Brooklynbay's post.

5)Spend your money on an additional cooler instead.

Good Luck,
Matt

 

[CDW6212R]

The EPC solenoid is over $100 by itself, so with less than 50K miles, I'd wait until another fluid change to worry about that. Good luck, hopefully I'll have my 99 SOHC running soon(weeks), and can comment on the TransGo kit.

 

[Glacier991]

Good advice all. Someone asked about adjusting the EPC. Yes the EPC is adjustable, there is a little allen screw in the end of it. Did I mention doing that? no. NO! Why not? because Jerry Wreblowski, a FORD design engineer who has posted the definitive work on the 4R70W elsewhere says NO NO NO NEVER EVER EVER fool with the adjusting screw on an EPC. I listen. I saw no reason to even bring it up.

 

[CDW6212R]

I have forgotten the name of the guy, was that the one who some J mod is named after for the 4R70W's? The same one who verbally bashed TransGo(in business longer than he's been alive)? Night Chris,

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Yes the EPC is adjustable, there is a little allen screw in the end of it. Did I mention doing that? no. NO! Why not? because Jerry Wreblowski, a FORD design engineer who has posted the definitive work on the 4R70W elsewhere says NO NO NO NEVER EVER EVER fool with the adjusting screw on an EPC.

By golly there IS an allen screw back there! I never considered it being an adjustment when I was working on mine, although I wouldn't have had the courage to mess with it anyway.

It would be interesting to know Wreblowski's reasons to avoid it, however. Obviously a very serious matter.....

 

[Glacier991]

His explanation is based on the 4R70W but is here:

http://www.tccoa.com/articles/tranny/transmission/page5.shtml

 

[2001ExpSport]

I have forgotten the name of the guy, was that the one who some J mod is named after for the 4R70W's? The same one who verbally bashed TransGo(in business longer than he's been alive)? Night Chris,

Do you own Transgo stock? Seems like any mention of Transgo and you are like, "who's saying sh*t about Transgo??!!!.....

 

[TimR155]

Thanks for all the help gentlemen, there may be more to the epc adjustment then meets the eye. My main forum for tech support is mysporttrac.com, excellent site, very knowledgeable folks there. I posted a thread regarding this and here is what they say.

1) Per Jerry himself, adjusting the epc does not apply to the 5R55E.

2) 1/4 turn will give you 10-20 psi increase which will not hurt anything, adjusting it more and you can start to run into problems. My original post mentioned 1/4 to 1/2 turn clockwise, I was wrong, they say to go no more than 1/4 turn!

3) Performance flashers ,chips and such do the same mod but through the computer, if you have one or plan on adding one beware.

I'm just a DIY hack and don't know anything about transmissions. If this is of any help great, if not I'll just shut up.

Tim

 

[Glacier991]

Thanks for that info Tim. I still am not going to go out on a limb and recommend anyone fool with their EPC pressure screw. Too many variables. YBut the info you provided was VERy helpful!

Oh, and welcome to this board.

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Thanks for the link, Glacier. Interesting reading on the EPC adjustment issue.
And thanks to you Tim, for clarifying it some more. One of these days I'll disassemble my old EPC and see what makes it tick, and see what that adjustment screw actually 'adjusts'.

I've heard or read somewhere that Ford's answer to the 2-3 flare is to re-program the PCM to increase the line pressure slightly. I'm sure they do it through the PCM because it's quick and easy, but I think our way through valve body mods is better and I hope longer lasting.

It'll be interesting to see if the troubles come back after more miles are on the mods. I hope not. I for one am getting tired of fixing Ford's engineering mistakes for them.....

 

[Glacier991]

Yeah IT is pretty amazing to think that with EPC's they can command varying pressures through the computer, but they can. That is also why the FMEM or limp mode has such bone jarring shifts, the computer asks for HIGH pressures. ("Gimmee all you got baby!!...Get Daddy HOME!")

 

[BrooklynBay]

One incentive to leave the set screw alone is that if you go into limp mode, and you already increased the pressure of your EPC, what kind of pressure will you have at this point? It might be extremely high, and could possibly damage something that normally wouldn't have gotten damaged with lower pressure.

 

[Glacier991]

Well since the cat's out of the bag.... let me offer this scenario....somoene ups the pressure using the screw.... sells you the vehicle, and you do a chip mod...to ALSO up it. Or... you do it to yourself. An uncontrollable variable you really don't need. I bet virtually NO one who is fooling with their line pressures has a pressure gauge. And remember line is just ONE pressure.

No I am not a fan. Leave the screw alone. You want better pressure? add the superior pressure riser, add Sonnax bore end plugs, upgrade the boost valve, upgrade the pressure regulator valve....Just leave the EPC alone, please ?

AND if you are one those who just CAN'T leave it alone, only do it AFTER you added the FORD EPC overpressure blowoff MOD, ok ?

 

[TimR155]

Good morning all, I'm not sold on this either, just passing along what I'm finding out, hence the "beware" in my last post. If you've got a used vehicle or had it into a trani shop it may have already been done. Take a worse case scenario, your epc gets adjusted, you add a shift kit and then your X gets reprogrammed at Ford or by a performance chip. Is it possible that even a combination of two of these could be a problem? As mentioned, a pressure guage will be the only way to tell.

I too am sick of Ford's lack of initiative to fix this problem. I've been told that on our Tracs, that as of 2003 they have had the updated seperator plate and blow off vavle. People are still having problems with these "updated" VBs, how many years have to go by for them to get this right?

I may just hold off and get one of the completely "re-engineered" VBs that have all the Sonnax mods IE bored out passageways and such. Does anyone have the skinny on those? Lazzman in another thread has a shop installing one, price was ~$300 for the VB with all new solenoids, how the heck can they do it that cheap?

If I ever go into limp mode, I'm taking Viagra

Tim

 

[Glacier991]

It would be a mis-assumption to approach the rebuilt stock VB with ALL the Sonnax Mod's as a "re-engineered VB". Everything is the same, but the bores that wear will be reamed oversize so that better fitting oversize spools can be added (for the most part - that is a slight oversimplification). The main thing these address is leakage caused by worn bores, that leakage can lead to low pressure at varying points during shifts, leading to flare and other symptoms.

Now, that said, I think those can be valuable additions to an OLD VB, as compared to a simple disassemble/clean/replace approach. It just isn't a "new" or "re-engineered design".

 

[2001ExpSport]

Hopefully tomorrow if I have some free time I will get to call Superior. I am very interested in the line pressure issue. It may play a key role in what is happening to my tranny as well as others.

I have to update my VB progress and it's been about 3k. I get a flare on downshifts from 2nd to first. It only does this at low speeds and half accelleration. Full accelleration is a quick solid shift as are all others. Still feels very strong and I have also increased mpg.

Regards,
Matthew

 

[2001ExpSport]

Wow, looks like we got censored....LOL

 

[2001ExpSport]

***************
Seriously, Matt I'll take you up on that offer. I'm planning on doing it early spring. The plan is to do the Ford updates, Superior kit, new bracket, updated reverse seal and trani pan plug, maybe the Sonnax boost valve. The Sonnax end plugs were mentioned also but I didn't see part numbers or suppliers for them.

I'm going to start ordering the parts within a few weeks. I'll be in touch.

Thanks
Tim
***************

Ok, no prob...

 

[nick2186]

trans go kit

i just recently bought the trans go shift kit for my 99 explorer sohc v6 before i tear into it are there any parts u recommend replacing and is there any other parts that i need that the kit didnt come with besides the pan gsk and filter. and also i just recently got confused with the tranny do i have the 5r55e or the 4r55e? thanks for your time and help

 

[Glacier991]

You will need valve body gaskets. And you have the 5R55E. Depending on your miles you may wish to consider changing out the EPC.