Transmission Problem - No Drive or Reverse

[ColbyHorsman]

'99 Explorer Sport, 4.0L SOHC, 220,000 Kms

I am having a problem with my transmission, All of a sudden it won't go into drive or reverse. 1st and 2nd still work. I can feel it trying to engage in drive, and it will engage ever so slightly in reverse.

From what I have read here I have blown the valve body separator plate(gasket?). The transmission shop told me I should also purchase a kit from Ford, I beleive he may have called it an EPC kit(I may be pulling that out of my butt) but anyway it's a kit to regulate the pressure so that I don't end up just blowing the gasket again.

Help?!

Thanks in advance for your replies, I love this site!

 

[PopRichie77]

Pull the valve body and check the gaskets, one on top of the separator plate and one under it, keep the valve body lying flat so that none of the L keepers or check balls fall out. Check for blown out pieces of gasket and replace. Get the ford updates. Read the 5R55E valve body rebuild. Be sure to use an inch lb. torque wrench.

 

[ColbyHorsman]

I called ford and asked them about an update and they had no idea. I talked to a transmission shop and they said that there is an updated separator plate, it comes with the gasket glued on?

. Any idea what the part number would be? My transmission is the 5R55E I think.

 

[PopRichie77]

Read the sticky of the 5R55e Valve body rebuild diary, the numbers are in there.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=140987

The 5R55E is many years old ford has moved on to a newer version and the parts guy may be new also and they are only parts people that look up numbers, finding one that can give information is very unlikely.

 

[ColbyHorsman]

Ok, wow what a resource that rebuild diary is!

So my plan is to tow it to my Dads shop tomorrow, take the pan off and remove the valve body. Then inspect the gasket on the separator plate. If it is blown out in sections then I'll order part 1 1L5Z-7Z490-HA 98GT-AA/BA; XL2P- CA/DA (Valve body separator plate, with gaskets) from Ford.

If the gasket is blown out it if because the EPC is worn out and is overpressurizing the fluid, so I will test it with my multimeter and see if I get between 3.1-5.7 ohms. If not I will order a new one, or should I order a new one anyway? Money is tight after xmas but I don't want to end up left on the side of the road again either(220,000 kms on truck) I will also check the solenoid backet and if needed, replace it with part number XL2Z7L491AA.

What is the Ford valve body kit? Part number 3L5Z7M203JA. Sounds like something I'll need to install.

Now I keep reading about a service kit to install. Is that just the NEW sep plate and gasket or is there something else I should be installing?