No reverse (5r55e)

[jimster502]

Hey everybody,
So I just install a transgo shift kit (aka correction kit) and the car won't move in reverse. It seems as if it were to be in neutral. I've read other posts about the reverse not working but others don't have the same problem as mine. I took it out for a test drive and it seems to lag while I accelerate in D and hesitates to go into 2nd gear unless I manually shift it into 2nd. The car almost seems to feel as if if I were driving a manual transmission equiped car. Before I took it out for a test drive, there was smoking (from oil spill on cats) but as soon as I got back home (like 10 min after) I noticed it was still smoking and it smells like its the clutch burning(I put about 7 quarts of atf). The O/D light is flashing and I pulled a p1071 I believe. I read somewhere in the forums that the valve body needed to be torqued between 75-90 in/lbs. Correct me if I'm wrong. The valve body gaskets were replaced and the valve body was troqued to 80in/lbs. Anybody have any idea what I did wrong? The transmission was perfectly fine before. I was just trying to fix the transmissions factory issues( lag into reverse,clunk from 3rd-2nd gear,etc)

 

[jimster502]

Btw its a 1997 sohc xlt 2wd w/ 141,500 miles

 

[1992fordgreen]

7 quarts isn't enough fluid in a 5R, check the manual. That could be why the gears are all messed up. 1/2 quart makes all the difference.

 

[PopRichie77]

Yes, use the dip stick to check the fluid level. Check in park, engine running.
If this doesn't fix it, you installed something wrong.

 

[jimster502]

Yeah I added oil as needed so I doubt that was the problem..and I remembered I didn't torque the seperator bolts so I took everything apart and I am in the process of torqueing every bolt to spec. Hopefully everything turns out fine

 

[jimster502]

So I just finished torqueing every bolt to spec and accordingly to the torqueing sequence. Thankfully reverse now works but it stumbles and turns off. The car turns off as soon as I put it into gear(reverse or drive). The OD light does not flash anymore thankfuly! The car idles fine but there's a weird sound coming from the transmission like a little cracking. I checked the oil level while fully warmed up and it barely touches the bottom of the dip stick so I'm going to buy more oil. Hopefully its just that it needs oil. Any one else think it can be anything else? I'm going to hook up the obd2 to see if it reads any codes.

 

[alohamonte]

similar experience to mine. I put in a shift kit which wound up causing more problems than it was worth. I wound up bringing it in to a shop who replaced the entire valve body.

 

[jimster502]

So the car is running worst than it was originally! I put oil as it needed some and car will still studder and shut off as soon as I put it into gear unless I let go of the brakes FAST! I'm so frustrated I don't know what to do now I took it out for a drive and it seems like it shifts earlier and quicker while driving it easy and won't down shift if I stomp on it. When coming to a stop, it downshifts kinda rough and feel every gear when it downshifts. As I got home, I saw smoke coming out from the bottom and I know for a fact that its not the oil the had fallen on the cat converter since that would've burned up yesterday when I cranked it. It smells funny. I think it might be the torque converter no light on the dashboard is illuminated and no codes come out on the obd2 scanner...how can the car go from running good to running like crap when adding a part that will improve your car!? I'm so frustrated someone have any idea what happend now?

 

[jimster502]

Sorry guys but I'm about to sound completely bipolar lol so I turned on my car again and left it in reverse for like 10-15 min and I would put it in every gear and park. And the car didn't turn off no more..I guess it took a while for computer to relearn the idle since idid have the battery disconnected for a while...after realizing this I felt retarted and took the car for another drive and it drove fine! No more weird funky downshifting. Only issue now is that 1st gear is very dumb. I floor it and the car drives slowly in first gear for the first 2.5k rpm and once it passes 2.5k rpm, it launches hard oddly...I also did notice that if I'm doing 40(cruising) and try to pass someone it doesn't downshift but in seconds I'm ding 80 mph lol...I'm just guessing the car has to readjust itself and hopefully its just that. If after a week it stil does the same thing, I'm going to call transgo to see what's up.anyways thanks for the help guys and hopefully I can recommend this shift kit to someone in the future.