Average cost to rebuild 5r55e??

[robrike40]

I have a 98 XLT that is exhibiting all the signs of a blown out valve body gasket. No reverse, slipping on 2-3 upshift and most importantly, no engine braking in 1st. I took it to a tranny guy who called today and told me that a test drive told him my reverse and high clutch packs were shot and since it has 200k miles on it he won't touch it unless I let him put a Jasper rebuild in for $2,836.00 I was hoping for $200 or so for a blown valve body gasket and worst case a "get another 50k miles rebuild" for about $1200. The car was running great then the O/D light started flashing. It was last Saturday and Autozone showed no codes so I pulled the battery and it reset and it drove great for two days. Then the light came on again according to my wife so I picked it up and it was showing all the signs of the blown gasket but no light.
Do you guys think I am about to buy some extra Christmas for the tranny guy's family or could the tranny really just die that quick? Fluid looks good, change about 10k ago. Should I pick it up and just dig in and check the valve body for giggles??? My gut is telling me to do that, I am pretty good with mechanical things and have the ability to read a sticky guide on valve rebuild and get it together. I just find it hard to believe that it exhibits all the signs of the valve body gasket but am being told it needs a new tranny. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated greatly.
Thanks,
Rob Rike
98 XLT

 

[Glacier991]

At 200K you obviously have a high mileage tranny...it certainly IS possible you are due fior a rebuild..... but let me ask you something... IF you pull out the VB and rebuild it, and IF that turns out not to have been the problem, you are already ahead on the rebuild. Most rebuilders do not do the job on the VB it deserves.

So, I'm not saying "GO FOR IT, IT WILL SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM" but on thhe other hand, you really have little to lose. The 5R55E Valve Body Diary above is a good start for ya.

PS. $2900 for a Jasper installed is high.

 

[robrike40]

Thanks for the response

Thanks for the info. I was thinking along the same lines. I have a guy who will replace the clutch packs, etc. I would probably order the parts you suggest in the diary and rebuild the valve body while he works on other items. Fantastic write up, absolutely perfect in every regard. I guess a new EPC would be warranted? Should I replace all solenoids too?
I will print the diary and rebuild it here in the house.
Thanks a bunch for the info. This site is awesome!!!
Rob Rike
98 XLT

 

[Glacier991]

before I pulled the tranny for a rebuild, I'd rebuild the VB along the lines of the Diary. Reinstall THAT and see if your problems are solved. (I'd recommend you flush the tranny first so when you reinstall the VB you are starting with clean fluid).

Yeah I'd definitely replace the EPC.... maybe even the TCC... shift solenoids are on/off and less prone to "kinda" working. They usually work or not.
They CAN stick, but as a rule are pretty reliable. They are easy to clean and reuse.

Sonnax has come out with some new stuff, not included in the diary and I am hoping to get my hands on it first of the year. I will add it to the Diary when I do... main thing for DIY'ers is Sonnax now offers end of bore plugs with O-rings for several problematic bores. The mantra in a VB is "prevent leaks". Leaks rob you of pressure you are going to need. Apparently these plugs help in that goal.

Anyway I am recommmending you 1) flush the tranny...; 2) remove and rebuild the VB, including the FORD fix with a new separator plate etc, and 3) reinstall the newly rebuilt VB and replace the filter, top it up with fluid and try it out. It MAY (may) solve your problem. If not, THEN have your buddy do the rebuild.

 

[robrike40]

Sounds like sound advice. I will get the EPC valve and the Superior or Transgo kit and assorted items. I will rebuild the Valve body and see if that solves it. Never had any harsh use. I will also get the Sonnox boost valve too. I will check for a list of parts to replace in the diary. I appreciate the help and I will look into the parts on the diary. Should be fun and challenging. I love that!!! Do the Superior kits have detailed instructions in case a check ball drops? thought I read that they do. Don't have a manual for a rebuild. I wish they sold the seperator plate, kit, solenoid, etc, in a kit. I can piece it together though.
Thanks so much,
Rob

 

[Glacier991]

I'd get the Superior kit and the Ford Mod. And yes the Superior instructions are excellent...and, besides if you get confused you can come back here. I try hard never to let anyone fail, and no one has yet. You CAN do this. I'll even provide phone support if needed.

[ps. There is no obligation on your part at all and this does not create one...and my support is freely given to anyone no matter what, but a great "thank you" to the board owner is to become an "Elite Explorer" and help pay for the bandwidth.]

pps. Part of the reason I did the Diary for the VB rebuild is because there wasn't any manual for one. So, due to lack of competition, that diary is the BEST manual out there!

ppps. Given your situation, I'd definitely put the double lip seal in (it is in tyhe Superior kit), I'd adjust the bands, and maybe replace the servo seals (although in situ those are a tremendous PITA).

 

[BrooklynBay]

Just in case you decide to rebuild the whole thing, one thought would be to make a diary on the 5R55E rebuild. It would be great to have that along with the A4LD diary. Both diaries could be used as a camparison to see the improvements that Ford made over the years.

 

[Glacier991]

THAT part has been done. Go read Brain's Project Frankentranny. A fantastic comparison lies therein.

And for the record.... After the 4R70W Diary is complete, and the BW 1354 Transfer Case Diary and the BW 4405 Transfer Case Diary, I have a 5R55E coming... so please someone beat me to it. The A4LD diary was hundreds of hours of work!

I DO encourage photo threads though, and that was not meant to discourage anyone. My co-moderator has some incredible photo threads on here. So Does ExplorerDMB and Dogfriend and so many others. I encourage it! A picture IS worth a thousand words or more.

 

[robrike40]

Thanks for all the responses. I will definelty give the VB a try. I will with the Superior Kit and a new EPC solenoid as well as the Ford parts. If it becomes necessary to rebuild this puppy I will take as many pics as possible. Just out of curiosity Glacier, which seals on the solenoids were you talking about? Will it show them in the Superior instructions? Should I replace the TCC solenoid? I take it the others can just be cleaned and tested for on/off.
I will order the parts monday. So much to look forward to.
Thanks again for the support. If this tranny leaves me a few dollars left over I will definetly become and elite member. If it breaks me I will sign up the next month.
Thanks again,
Rob

 

[Glacier991]

Actually it was late when I wrote that. I meant to say servos... and I meant replace the servos.... they do not have a seal per se... they are a rubberized unit that hardens over time and benefit from a replacement. They are the hydraulic actuators for the bands.

 

[robrike40]

I feel like such a big boy. I dove in and took the plunge late this afternoon. I am going to pull the pan and valve body myself (thanks for the confidence boost from Chris) and replace the Ford TSB parts and put in the Superior kit. I managed to get the Cat off thus far and that may have been unnecessary but I now have clear access to the tranny. Plus I did not have a t-30 bit to drop the front shaft. I probably will not touch it again until the weekend but I have a good feeling about this in that it will solve my problem. I also plan to order the ATSG so if this fixes it I may look for a junk 5r55e to rebuild and have ready when this bites the dust, assuming it has not already.
Christmas is most definelty not a good time to have these things creep up on you. :fire:

Chris, everyone, thanks for all the input and I will keep the board posted. Considering the money I hope to save, look for me to be an elite member Monday.
Thanks again,
Rob Rike
98 XLT SOHC

 

[Glacier991]

PM me and I can send you the tool for the servos... it is WAY easier to remove the covers using the tool made for that job.. and without the CAT in the way that job is now pretty straightforward...

 

[BrooklynBay]

When I rebuilt a couple of A4LD transmissions, I didn't have a lot of the specialty tools that are available, so I was forced to improvise. I used a welding vice grip that looks like a big "C" to compress the servo covers, so I could install the snap ring. This way is actually faster than the tool that is recommended, since you just squeeze it, and it will compress the servo covers as much as needed.

 

[robrike40]

follow up

Well, I did the valve body mod with much thanks to Chris for his support. I did the Ford TSB and the Superior shift kit but I still have the same results. Bummer! 206k miles though, not too bad for having the first rebuild. $950 for a rebuild barring no hard parts. They don't recommend my other Superior kit parts though that are left for pulling the tranny. That worries me but they offer a 12/12,000 warranty. I could tell that reverse engaged faster with the double lipped reverse/low servo gasket Chris talked about. Hope they will leave that on there. I will let you know how the rebuild is, I went by the shop today and they had the tranny out and in line to rebuild. They are moving fast.
Keep you guys posted.
Rob Rike
98 XLT

 

[robrike40]

Well, after $1522.00 I got the car back. Runs pretty good though I still feel a tiny flare on the 3-4 now. Also when it goes out of overdrive back to 4 on inclines under load it downshifts and the rpm goes up, then for about a second it goes a little higher and then settles in. I will drive it a bit and see if it gets better. Shifts are firm, there is a clunk though when putting it in reverse but not one when going to drive. Don't know if that is u joint or another problem. Anyone have any thoughts on it?
Thanks,
Rob
09 XLT

 

[BrooklynBay]

Could you post a picture of those double lip seals on the low/reverse piston? I'm curious to see which way the lip is facing (L end down toward the ground, or up toward the inside of the transmission). What did the shop say was actually bad on the transmission? I'm sure that it couldn't be valve body related, since you rebuilt it.

 

[robrike40]

Hey BrooklynBay. I did not get a chance to photo that as it was all put back together when I got to the shop. I did the VB work here before I decided a rebuild was needed and as I recall I don't think the doulbe lip seal having a specific orientation. I could be wrong though.
The shop did a soft rebuild but also added hard part consisting of two servos, and intermediate band and a new planetary gear. They put it all back together but said it still had a bad 2-3 flare. I mention a new EPC which they tried and that cured it. It drives pretty good now ($1500 later) but I am concerned that the rebuilder put Mercon III in and when I asked him about this he said that the Mercon V is overkill and it really does not need it, especially with the "updated" soft parts he used. I will watch it carefully during the warranty 12/12,000 to make sure the III has no ill effect. What is your take on the fluid deal?
He told me that the Torque Converter was shot when he opened it up and that the planetary gear was a mess and that was the ultimate cause of the failure I was having. I am still waiting for my ATSG to arrive in the mail. I want to see and know what all is in this thing. I am not so sure the guy did not tinker with my VB either, he knew I put a kit in it and was against that idea.
Talk to you later,
Rob

 

[Glacier991]

There is no "correct" orientation of the double lip seal, which I show in a close up photo in the 5R55E Rebuild Diary as I go through the parts of the Superior kit.

I disagree with his assessment that Mercon is sufficient. I recommend you get a bottle of Lubegard Green, which modifies Mercon to perform like Merc V and add it.

 

[robrike40]

Chris,
I was wondering about the fluid. Thanks for the post. They warranty the transmission as long as I don't open it up, otherwise I void the warranty. No way for me to drain and refill but there is nothing wrong with adding a bottle of something.
I will go look for some today.
Thanks,
Rob

 

[Glacier991]

If you cannot find it, let me know. I can ship you a bottle the product FORD used back in 02 when they screwed up on the fill at the factory. I am suspecting it is the lubegard product but cannot prove it. I picked up a case of it for next to nothing.