How to: 5R55E Valve Body Rebuild Diary

[asavage]

Borg Warner EPC solenoid, No. 50155

Some pics of the BW 50155 EPC valve

(click on any image for larger)

 

[asavage]

So far, I'm not too impressed by the Superior instruction sheet.

(click on any image for larger)

Step 4 is to replace the Coast Clutch Valve retaining Plug (44, red) .
No mention (or pertinent illustration) that it's behind a the
4th gear solenoid (20, green)
and an impossible-to-remove
Converter Check Plug (40, blue).

I've given up on that outer Converter Check Plug for tonight. I do not think I will be able to remove it without damage, but I'll try again in the morning.

 

[CDW6212R]

It often takes special patience, tools etc, to remove some components. It's helpful for them to give tips etc to be able to remove the parts. TransGo is really good about doing that, other companies don't try to very hard.

Good luck on that, I usually use a combination of picks, screwdrivers, and a large paper clip to remove VB components. Go slow and rethink what it needs, to come out.

 

[drdoom]

Step 4...I was never able to get that plug out.

 

[asavage]

Here's another example of instruction confusion.

(click on any image for larger)

OK, but here's my 5R55e separator plate:

So, according to Superior, which trans does this separator belong to?

 

[Reldasemaj]

layout for the screws

THANK YOU SOO MUCH! Ive spent the last hour searching the web, trying to find the layout for the screws.

Here's the pdfs:

http://batman.homelinux.com/images/valve_body.pdf <-- this is the full pdf
http://batman.homelinux.com/images/valve_body1.pdf <--pages 1-2
http://batman.homelinux.com/images/valve_body2.pdf <--pages 3-4
http://batman.homelinux.com/images/valve_body3.pdf <--pages 5-6
http://batman.homelinux.com/images/valve_body4.pdf <--pages 7-8
http://batman.homelinux.com/images/valve_body5.pdf <--pages 9-10

I hope someone finds these helpful.

Andy

 

[asafley]

Was wondering if anyone has tried to order the updated separator plate for a '97 Explorer SOHC 4x4 5R55E transmission? I have been trying to order one and I cannot get one... every parts dealer says discontinued. The only thing I have been able to get was the two gaskets and the solenoid plate. Is there a substitute for the updated separator plate (No one seems to know and I have called multiple dealers Tousley and local)?

Otherwise, I may have to modify the gaskets (imagine that the new gasket will be missing some holes that my old plate will have), use the superior and then finished off with the Transgo kit. From the transgo, I am going to use the rivet, the sleeve that goes in the transmission side, and the check valve. Do I still have to drill the hole in the valve body for the transgo? Thanks

 

[BrooklynBay]

Check WWW.TransmissionPartsUSA.Com, WWW.Wittrans.Com & WWW.BulkPart.Com. It's possible that Donny from WWW.CentralValveBodies.Com might be able to help you. Don't forget to mention this site for a discount.

 

[BigEDGE02]

Does anyone know if the separator plate/gasket with the part number 1L5Z-7Z490-HA (98/00 4.0L - SOHC - 5R55E) will work on the 01/02 4.0L SOHC? The part number from the TSB (03-22-10) for the 01/02 is listed as 1L5Z-7Z490-CA.

I'm only asking because I need one for my 02 Ranger and I found one locally but its the "HA" part number (it does have the bonded gasket) and they're telling me it will work just fine in place of the "CA" part listed in the TSB. Does anyone know the difference, if any, between the two? Maybe I can I modify it in some way (like drill a hole or make a hole bigger) to make it work?

 

[asafley]

Hey Brooklyn, Thanks for the suggestion for Donny at Central Valve Body. As it turn out he had one. So if anyone needs the 1997 SOHC 5R55E non-bonded updated plate, Donny might still have one. Excellent customer service I might add. I also bought parts from Torrie at Fast Parts Network, another outstanding person and cheap prices.

PS. Transmission works awesome. I put in the Borg Warner EPC, Superior, and Ford Updated Plate and TSB, it turned out better than I thought (Shifts are firm and more pronounced... along with reverse that doesn't have a delay). To top it off, I put in a new FRAM micofelt filter, B&M Remote Filter, and Amsoil Synthetic ATF. Next one on the list is probably another transmission cooler.

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Does anyone know if the separator plate/gasket with the part number 1L5Z-7Z490-HA (98/00 4.0L - SOHC - 5R55E) will work on the 01/02 4.0L SOHC? The part number from the TSB (03-22-10) for the 01/02 is listed as 1L5Z-7Z490-CA.

I'm only asking because I need one for my 02 Ranger and I found one locally but its the "HA" part number (it does have the bonded gasket) and they're telling me it will work just fine in place of the "CA" part listed in the TSB. Does anyone know the difference, if any, between the two? Maybe I can I modify it in some way (like drill a hole or make a hole bigger) to make it work?

The HA will indeed work the same as the CA part
in your application.

Those 2 letter suffixes are Ford indentifiers for
enginering codes and usually follow the alphabet.
Meaning that HA is a later code and is backward
compatable with CA. (You might have a problem,
however, with replacing a later part code with an
earlier one.)

 

[BigEDGE02]

The HA will indeed work the same as the CA part
in your application.

Those 2 letter suffixes are Ford indentifiers for
enginering codes and usually follow the alphabet.
Meaning that HA is a later code and is backward
compatable with CA. (You might have a problem,
however, with replacing a later part code with an
earlier one.)

Good to know, thanks ROE!

 

[ChrisTM]

Kinda Confused

I am kinda confused. I got my hands on a transgo shift kit, and after I put it in, I had no gears and no error codes! I dropped the pan again and found the my VB bolts were not tight enough. I brought them up to 90 inch/lbs.

Now I have gears! However, I have almost no torque. I can go into reverse and drive. I have the most torque in reverse and when the shifter is in first and second, but almost none when it's in drive. It just feels like its "Slipping" when you try to get it to move. I had enough power to easily climb the ramps (thank god) with the shifter in first, but it was struggling with the attempt in drive.

I am pretty certain I followed the instructions pretty well, but I had a feeling I have one part possibly wrong. Here it is. It says to use a valve body bolt or a punch to push the tapered orifice into the second band feed hole. What is the purpose of this? Could this be causing my problem?

Scratching my head here. Dropped the pan twice, I want to have a good idea of what the problem is before I make another mess!

 

[CDW6212R]

A major source of problems with the 5R55E comes from leaks, mostly from the gaskets. There is an area where the gaskets can be damaged from movement of the case passages themselves(side to side). Gasket retention(bolt tightness) is critical. If you happen to not tighten the bolts completely, it's possible that a gasket has blown out.

I'm not concluding that a gasket is now your issue, but it's a good guess. The VB bolts need to be at the proper torque, too much is bad and too little can contribute to gasket failure. I'd buy new gaskets and plan replace the others, and use a torque wrench.

Follow the TransGo procedure for adjusting the bands, they are made to work with their kit well. Regards,

 

[ChrisTM]

Ok, I will grab a new gasket kit before I drop the pan. I think I will go to harbor freight and get an actual inch lb torque wrench since I am using a ft lb and converting. It might not be as accurate as it needs to be at that low of a setting. Thanks for that, I wouldn't have thought the gasket could/would blow so easily.

Any other suggestions?

 

[CDW6212R]

That symptom sounds like a loss of pressure, which should also cause the EPC solenoid to attempt to compensate. That creates an EPC error code, so is the engine light on? If not then it may be something else or in addition to the gaskets.

If you didn't change the EPC, I would also do that, that's the second most important thing to be concerned with in the 5R55E. Lots of things are mentioned in here of course, those are the two biggest.

 

[ChrisTM]

No, no CEL. I even drove it up and down the block in first/second to see if it would come on, but it didn't. I am trying to get my hands on the gasket set. Kragen doesn't have it which leaves me with the dealer which isn't open on the weekend. Well the parts dept anyway.

The only reason I didn't replace the EPC was because I purchased what I thought was an EPC solenoid from the dealer, and since I had never ripped the tranny apart, didn't know that it was actually a shift solenoid. Kinda pissed me off, but it's been months that I had it and have not done this. They wont take it back, even with a receipt because it's past 30 days...

 

[BrooklynBay]

Check the links in this post for parts sources: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2950389&postcount=828

 

[Dc4704]

As much as this threa was a help, I'm still a little lost. I have a 2000 explorer with the 5r55e and am experiencing the 2-3 flare as well. I'm thinking about ordering the updated solenoid bracket and a new epc, has any one been successful with just this fix? And if it doesn't work could I use the new epc on a valve body I order from donny at centralvalve?

 

[CDW6212R]

Yes, the EPC is the most expensive part, and is good to reuse for about 75k miles.

I wish someone would take the time to investigate the newest Sonnax 5R55E modification, and install it. It is possible that most of the flares and gasket failures are due to the trans case flexing at the gasket/VB, under normal conditions. Sonnax has a bulletin about installing set screws between fluid passages in the case, to stop the case from moving.

I tried to shop for those set screws one time at a Lowe's here, but they only carried one of the three suggested sizes. The modification read like it's a really easy and quick thing to do, but first you have to have the right set screws(parts).