Desperately need help!

[Trac5er]

Hi
I have a lifted 01 sport trac 4x4. Tranny shifts hard into Drive and sometimes has a hard time backing up. NO shops around here will touch it and I dont know anything about trannys. I have heard the valve body could be a possible easy solution? Is there any one here in WA state that works or these or could help me? I've been making payments for 4 years and it's just been sitting, waiting . I finally paid it off and need to fix it, or off it. Please help!

 

[410Fortune]

Allright I will bite.............
Your 01 Sport trac uses the 5r55e automatic transmission
These auto transmissions are actually a computer controlled 4 speed transmission that uses 1st gear and overdrive to create a "false" or "fake" second gear.
Often times the first signs of trouble are the loss of reverse and 1st or second gear, shifting issues
But first let us start with the basics:


How many miles on the sport trac?
Is your check engine light on?
OD light flashing?
Have you checked the auto transmission fluid level?

To check the fluid level you need the truck at operating temperature and sitting idle in Park
Then you pull the dipstick, wipe it clean and re insert. Pull dipstick again and check fluid level, color and smell

Is the fluid at level? (You may need to pull and clean the stick several times to get an accurate reading)
Is the fluid bright red/pink? or is it dark red or brown? (wiping the fluid onto a clean white rag can help here)
Does the fluid smell burnt?

Answer these questions first and then we can get started on what your next action should be

ANY auto transmission shop will work on these, if they claim they do not then RUN AWAY and find a shop that will help

Here is Wikipedia about the Ford C3/A4LD/4r/5R automatics:

Ford C3 transmission - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Common issues, including leaking separator plate and other valve body issues

18 Troubleshooting Tips for 4R44E & 5R55E Transmissions | Sonnax

With the proper repair, these cores can be just like money in the bank. Set yourself up for a successful rebuild with these expert tips.

www.sonnax.com

Often times these can be repaired in the vehicle depending on the answers to the questions above
Or your transmission can be removed and rebuilt, OR you can install a good used unit.
We will also need to know the build date of your 01 Sport trac because half way through 2001 the transmission changed slightly

Hope that helps

 

[Trac5er]

Allright I will bite.............
Your 01 Sport trac uses the 5r55e automatic transmission
These auto transmissions are actually a computer controlled 4 speed transmission that uses 1st gear and overdrive to create a "false" or "fake" second gear.
Often times the first signs of trouble are the loss of reverse and 1st or second gear, shifting issues
But first let us start with the basics:


How many miles on the sport trac?
Is your check engine light on?
OD light flashing?
Have you checked the auto transmission fluid level?

To check the fluid level you need the truck at operating temperature and sitting idle in Park
Then you pull the dipstick, wipe it clean and re insert. Pull dipstick again and check fluid level, color and smell

Is the fluid at level? (You may need to pull and clean the stick several times to get an accurate reading)
Is the fluid bright red/pink? or is it dark red or brown? (wiping the fluid onto a clean white rag can help here)
Does the fluid smell burnt?

Answer these questions first and then we can get started on what your next action should be

ANY auto transmission shop will work on these, if they claim they do not then RUN AWAY and find a shop that will help

Here is Wikipedia about the Ford C3/A4LD/4r/5R automatics:

Ford C3 transmission - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Common issues, including leaking separator plate and other valve body issues

18 Troubleshooting Tips for 4R44E & 5R55E Transmissions | Sonnax

With the proper repair, these cores can be just like money in the bank. Set yourself up for a successful rebuild with these expert tips.

www.sonnax.com

Often times these can be repaired in the vehicle depending on the answers to the questions above
Or your transmission can be removed and rebuilt, OR you can install a good used unit.
We will also need to know the build date of your 01 Sport trac because half way through 2001 the transmission changed slightly

Hope that helps

Hello
Thank you for your response. The build date is August of 2000. I just had a tranny flush and new filter, thinking that may have been the problem. It didnt do any good as it still is stumbling in 3rd gear( overdrive). You can take your foot off the gas and let it shift that way, and it'll work fine. Every now and then Reverse does the same thing. But again, if you let your foot off the pedal, itll shift. There are no burnt smells and that is the only issue. There is no tranny shop, locally and the closest that will touch it, Aamco has said itd be around $4000 to rebuild. Before moving here, we lived in prineville Oregon and 3 shops there said they do not work on sport tracs. The 2 auto repair shops here ( in long beach. Wa) have also told us they cant do these. Is there any particular reasons that shops wont touch sport tracs? Other than the random shifting issues, it's been a great truck. Thanks again for your help.

 

[410Fortune]

$4K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow Things are expensive these days
No idea why they wont work on a sport trac? Its the same transmission that is in 96-01 Explorer, Mountaineer, 98-11 Ranger, Mazda B4000, 01-04 Explorer sport and Sport trac
Let me do a little research based on the new info and will get back to this thread
In the meantime please answer the questions from above, it is VERY pertinent information to know the mileage, if the CEL is on, if the OD light flashes, etc. I would ask them if they would work on a 2001 Ranger..........pretty much the exact same vehicle!! (drivetrain wise)

 

[Trac5er]

$4K!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow Things are expensive these days
No idea why they wont work on a sport trac? Its the same transmission that is in 96-01 Explorer, Mountaineer, 98-11 Ranger, Mazda B4000, 01-04 Explorer sport and Sport trac
Let me do a little research based on the new info and will get back to this thread
In the meantime please answer the questions from above, it is VERY pertinent information to know the mileage, if the CEL is on, if the OD light flashes, etc. I would ask them if they would work on a 2001 Ranger..........pretty much the exact same vehicle!! (drivetrain wise)

Sorry! I totally forgot about answering those questions! NO to all of the above. It has 149k on it. There are no blinking lights. No CEL, no codes thrown. Other than it randomly stumbling, it runs great. We drove it over here , with those issues, from prineville OR to Ocean Park, WA. 4k for a tranny rebuild is way to much in my opinion, lol. Especially since I just paid off the truck last December! I bought it 4 years ago for 7500, drove it less than 3000 miles before this happened.
Thanks again!

 

[donalds]

My trans rebuild cost me $2500

 

[410Fortune]

Yes $4000 is the kind of number you throw at a project you do not want to do and it is a ridiculously high number

What is going on over on the Pacific coast of WA? Nobody rebuilds 5r55e anymore? I mean that transmission has been the bread and butter of many transmission shops for the last 15+ YEARS!!

Those are the thoughts that go through my head when I see a number like that

It is more like (this is how we do it):
$500-800 labor to R&R transmission
$800-1000 for ALL NEW PARTS I am talking a REMANUFACTURE transmission, valve body REBUILD and update, new converter, new filter, fluid, solenoid pack, all new "soft" parts
$500-1000 profit to keep the shop open and cover expenses
That is a $2500 rebuild DONE properly

Then you have the other guys, your $4000 "trans rebuild"
What we call a "soft rebuild" where they simply drop the trans, open it up on a table (at this point you are at their mercy) identify the issue, replace some wear parts and throw it back together without even touching the valve body or replacing the converter
or worse, they charge $2500 and just fix the valve body, slap it in the truck with new fluid, filter, road test and send you packing without even checking the rest of the trans.
MANY 5R55E are repaired with valve body fixes in the truck, at least could buy you another 50-100K miles

Without getting WAY TOO DETAILED about all of this just know transmission shops are known to charge double up front, fix the bare bones minimum, do NO actual valve body rebuild, and put it back in the truck, road test and give back to customer KNOWING chances are good you will be back very soon for more repairs, which is why they charged you double up front

149K is lower miles IMO, but it is also now 20 years old, and these issues you are having are typical for a 5r55e starting to show its age
Issues with engaging reverse is the #1 sign something is fishy with your 5r55e

 

[410Fortune]

Now back to the actual transmission you said:

Tranny shifts hard into Drive and sometimes has a hard time backing up

I just had a tranny flush and new filter

it still is stumbling in 3rd gear( overdrive)

Every now and then Reverse does the same thing. But again, if you let your foot off the pedal, itll shift.

From the Sonnax troubleshooting link I posted above:

"Loss of certain gears can occur due to issues in at least two other circuits. Loss of solenoid oil due to end plug leakage can cause no Reverse, and loss or 3rd or 4th and can be repaired with 37947-13K. Leakage at the coast clutch valve can result in loss of 4th, 5th, or engine braking (you can eliminate leakage with 37947-33K)."

Valve body repairs!! CAN BE DONE IN TRUCK
You are SMART to come here and ask questions, many people pony up $4000 just to have the shop repair the valve body and send them home with a "rebuilt" trans


I am going to CALL my transmission builder @Brett today and go over this with him............. see what he thinks
In the meantime
How does the engine run? perfectly smooth?

I wish you were closer, I am about 6-7 hour drive from you, North Idaho
I have a "couple" of very low mile 5r55e transmissions sitting at my house waiting for something like this
I can also fix the valve body or just install an updated one, many options on the table

 

[Trac5er]

My trans rebuild cost me $2500

Where'd you go? If they're close enough I'll go there.

 

[410Fortune]

word is it could be blown out separator gaskets, these would be the gaskets on top of the valve body
Pretty simple repair in the truck, easy enough to check, will only cost 5-6 quarts of fluid and a little know how

 

[Trac5er]

Now back to the actual transmission you said:







From the Sonnax troubleshooting link I posted above:

"Loss of certain gears can occur due to issues in at least two other circuits. Loss of solenoid oil due to end plug leakage can cause no Reverse, and loss or 3rd or 4th and can be repaired with 37947-13K. Leakage at the coast clutch valve can result in loss of 4th, 5th, or engine braking (you can eliminate leakage with 37947-33K)."

Valve body repairs!! CAN BE DONE IN TRUCK
You are SMART to come here and ask questions, many people pony up $4000 just to have the shop repair the valve body and send them home with a "rebuilt" trans


I am going to CALL my transmission builder @Brett today and go over this with him............. see what he thinks
In the meantime
How does the engine run? perfectly smooth?

I wish you were closer, I am about 6-7 hour drive from you, North Idaho
I have a "couple" of very low mile 5r55e transmissions sitting at my house waiting for something like this
I can also fix the valve body or just install an updated one, many options on the table

Man, I wish I lived closer to you. I would happily pay you to diagnose this truck. It's been a hassle getting answers from the local shops. I appreciate you asking your friend. Blown separator gasket huh? Is there a way I could check it to see, or how would I know if that's the issue? I'm sorry for asking so many questions, I just wanna get this truck back on the road and not go bankrupt in the process! Other than the shifting issue, it runs great. Motor is strong, 4wd works awesome. It's just that one issue!
Thanks again for your help!

 

[Trac5er]

Now back to the actual transmission you said:







From the Sonnax troubleshooting link I posted above:

"Loss of certain gears can occur due to issues in at least two other circuits. Loss of solenoid oil due to end plug leakage can cause no Reverse, and loss or 3rd or 4th and can be repaired with 37947-13K. Leakage at the coast clutch valve can result in loss of 4th, 5th, or engine braking (you can eliminate leakage with 37947-33K)."

Valve body repairs!! CAN BE DONE IN TRUCK
You are SMART to come here and ask questions, many people pony up $4000 just to have the shop repair the valve body and send them home with a "rebuilt" trans


I am going to CALL my transmission builder @Brett today and go over this with him............. see what he thinks
In the meantime
How does the engine run? perfectly smooth?

I wish you were closer, I am about 6-7 hour drive from you, North Idaho
I have a "couple" of very low mile 5r55e transmissions sitting at my house waiting for something like this
I can also fix the valve body or just install an updated one, many options on the table

Yes. Other than the issue. The truck runs great. Engine is smooth. 4wd works great.

 

[410Fortune]

If it was my truck (I have owned a " few" of these trucks you could say, like close to 100)
I would:
Scan truck to see if any trans codes
Road test truck with scanner watch computer command shifts see how trans reacts ( in real time)

Then:
get new gaskets, 6-7 quarts of Mercon V in my hands
drop trans pan
Catch 5-6 quarts of fluid
drop filter
Remove valve body
and have a look

Visually check valve body
check gaskets
clean everything
re-install with new gaskets
put back filter and pan
fill to level
road test

Not a big job at all considering what is at stake (2500-3000 "rebuild" or less then $100 and buy yourself another 50-100K miles)
I am not sure what your mechanical abilities are, I would rate this job as a 4 on a scale of 1-10 (10 being a trans swap in 4x4, 1 being air filter change) simply because you need to get under the truck with enough room and light to work and you need to drain/drop the pan

Usually valve body is the way to fix a 5r55e like yours IF
the fluid was always bright red
It is only filled with Mercon V
and 149K miles
have you back on the road in a like 3-4 hours

 

[Trac5er]

If it was my truck (I have owned a " few" of these trucks you could say, like close to 100)
I would:
Scan truck to see if any trans codes
Road test truck with scanner watch computer command shifts see how trans reacts ( in real time)

Then:
get new gaskets, 6-7 quarts of Mercon V in my hands
drop trans pan
Catch 5-6 quarts of fluid
drop filter
Remove valve body
and have a look

Visually check valve body
check gaskets
clean everything
re-install with new gaskets
put back filter and pan
fill to level
road test

Not a big job at all considering what is at stake (2500-3000 "rebuild" or less then $100 and buy yourself another 50-100K miles)
I am not sure what your mechanical abilities are, I would rate this job as a 4 on a scale of 1-10 (10 being a trans swap in 4x4, 1 being air filter change) simply because you need to get under the truck with enough room and light to work and you need to drain/drop the pan

Usually valve body is the way to fix a 5r55e like yours IF
the fluid was always bright red
It is only filled with Mercon V
and 149K miles
have you back on the road in a like 3-4 hours

It sounds like a great place to start, definitely. When I took it to a tranny shop in Longview, they were supposed to diagnose it but instead they changed the fluid and filter. I've driven it about 100 miles since then and it still does what it did before( this was probably 5 6 months ago) so I stopped driving it. What would I look for in the valve body? If the gasket holding on the valve body is bad, that would also cause slippage issues, right? As always, thank you for your time, and assistance. You've been really helpful.

 

[sandsprayer]

My trans rebuild cost me $2500

Yeah that's a fair price, unfortunately on this coast things are WAY expensive.
If @Trac5er follows Jamie's advise, and still has problems would love to see him get it over to the 410Fortune garage for a solid fix @ a fair price

 

[Trac5er]

Yeah that's a fair price, unfortunately on this coast things are WAY expensive.
If @Trac5er follows Jamie's advise, and still has problems would love to see him get it over to the 410Fortune garage for a solid fix @ a fair price

I just ordered the gasket kit that he suggested. I'll watch some youtube videos and have at it and post the results!

 

[410Fortune]

the gaskets that "blow out" are above the valve body, these are what seal the valve body to the transmission above it

I am SURE there are Youtube videos to address this, I am pretty much a Youtube certified mechanic

You are welcome!

 

[donalds]

If only we could get some of the older machines to make YouTube videos
I learned more from a older guys than anywhere else

 

[imp]

If only we could get some of the older machines to make YouTube videos
I learned more from a older guys than anywhere else

Here I am, older than hell and less and less able as time goes by.............

 

[CDW6212R]

Ditto, I'm slower every day, and want to do it less every day.

I did my 1999 5R55E in 2006, and I did everything I could find to do, except for the later Sonnax suggested set screws installed in the worm tracks of the case(above where the gasket blows out). The case of the 5R is very deep up above the VB, those passages are so deep, that they are able to move side to side more than you'd like. The changing pressures are what move those thin passages, and sometimes the movement happens at the VB gasket, the VB mot tight enough possibly. The idea of the set screws is to place them between the thin walls of the case passages, in a few places, to keep them from moving as much.

I can plan it, but doing it is not the same as it used to be. I would install all of the available Sonnax VB parts, they are really good and very helpful. Those take some time and patience, but not as bad as almost any shift kit. If the trans has many miles over say 50k, I'd replace all of the solenoids(EPC absolutely), the accumulators, and adjust the bands. Those parts would cost under $250 I think these days, and as pointed out, can be done without dropping the trans. All of these suggestions are very helpful for any used trans, before or after a rebuild. Shops don't ever install any upgrade parts unless someone adamantly pushes for them, and some won't in any case.