5R55S reliability and strength?
Hi there, hope you guys don't mind a question from someone who knows next to nothing about transmissions!
Very early on in this thread there was some comment about the 'best' 5Rxxx transmission. Some of the comments seemed to say that there are various flavours of tranny within the model numbers, eg a 5R55S built for a V6 might be different from the 5R55S for a V8.
I can understand the need for different bellhousing obviously due to different engine bolt patterns, but I think the comments were saying the internals would be built differently, eg sturdier components for a V8 compared to a V6. Maybe also when meant for different vehicles, eg Explorer vs Mustang.
Is that so, are there internal component differences between various 5R55S trannys?
The reason I ask is that I have a 2004 Explorer XLT 4.0 which the door label says has a 5R55S. It have been doing delayed and harsh shifts recently. I have talked to a lot of people about it including people in the motor trade, and the overwhelming response was "Ha - Explorer transmissions are rubbish, wait a while and it will blow up".
I work with 2 guys who had Explorers, admittedly earlier ones than mine, and both had expensive transmission failures - one twice. Generally where I live (New Zealand) Explorers have a very bad name for transmission failures, but most of the ones I have heard of have been with earlier models than mine which have a different transmission. My Explorer has a pretty easy life as a suburban vehicle with occasional towing 3-4 times a year.
This thread is fascinating reading (at least the 25% I can understand!) and I am picking that the point of swapping IN a 5R55S is because it is an improvement on the previous tranny - otherwise why do it.
So the question in my mind is do I get rid of my Explorer before the transmision fails in an expensive way, or if the 5R55S is fundamentally a good solid reliable transmission should I invest some money in it and keep the vehicle (which I love BTW).
Maybe one of you guys who is in the Transmission business can say if 5R55S trannys are any more or less reliable than average?
Are there differences between individual 5R55Ss that could make it a great tranny in some vehicles but unreliable in others? (I am thinking that the demands on it in a 4x4 offroader (Explorer) is quite different from what it would be in a fast street machine (Mustang).
I am hoping that all the Explorer trans failures I heard about are early models and that Ford improved the 5R55S to sort the problems out, or am I just dreaming?
Thanks,
Neil.