To keep it short as possible, my fluid is discolored but smells normal and has no signs of the forbidden glitter, has no fault codes, but I usually have to give the shifter an extra smack to fully engage drive and it tends to shift particularly hard between 2 and 3 when under heavy acceleration when passing another vehicle, entering the highway or when I just wanna go fast like Ricky Bobby, all 3 of which are common occurances just about every time I go somewhere. It has always acted a little funny, but since I put the new engine in, it has become more prevalent with the increased power. My original intention was to build a prerunner, but plans changed and now I just want to increase the carrying/towing capacity and a 220k mile trans with dark dirty red fluid and shifting issues is counter productive to making my Ranger suitable to tow a 2500 lb camper through the Nantahala Gorge without pooping the bands out on the side of 40.

 

2001 Ranger 3.0l will have a 5R44E automatic, usually the factory built models are good for 300k, good rebuilds 250k, so at 220k you are closer to the end of life, well past mid-life

If fluid looks "dirty" change it and the filter
If you don't have a 2nd trans cooler add one, always, they are not expensive compared to cost of transmission issues

The 5R44E/55E doesn't actually have a 2nd gear, transmission stays in 1st gear and OD is turned on to give a "faux" 2nd gear while accelerating slowly/normally
Computer may shift from 1st directly to "3rd" under hard acceleration, skipping OD on 2nd gear
The 1995-2000 4Rs did the same shift as they didn't have the computer software to activate OD while in 1st, their 2nd gear is same exact gear as 5Rs 3rd gear

So knowing this, try accelerating slowly/normally, you should hear/feel the shift to 2nd(OD on), then hear/feel the shift to 3rd should be fairly smooth
Then do the fast acceleration to hear/feel shift from 1st to 3rd directly, so much higher RPM in 1st then hard shift to 3rd and RPM drop, that would be "normal"

 

Thank you! I knew it was closer to the end of it's life, I am really just hoping to squeeze every last mile I can out of it until I can afford 2 transmissions and an engine so I can fix my Explorer before I change the trans in ny Ranger. Also, that makes a lot of sense... the overdriven 1st gear as 2nd gear... I had really been wondering how they got the acceleration curve so snooth under normal acceleration & now I know...

 

The idea of it came from off-roaders using the A4LD and AODE automatics, the first automatics with OD on/off solenoids, 3/4 shift solenoid
They would add a switch on the dash to activate OD while in 1st or 2nd to get a new ratio better suited to their driving speed at the time, very clever, changes a 4-speed into a 6-speed, lol
1st ratio is 2.47, and 2nd 1.47 so very wide ratio difference, OD ON changes 1st to 1.86 as the new faux 2nd

 

Very clever indeed. That is basically the same way an 18 speed in a big truck works. Thar said, would it be possible to split every gear in my trans, giving it an 8 speed or 6 speed or however many physical gears it has x2?

 

Just 1st and 2nd really(and OD on in 2nd is not that useful), and 3rd is 1:1 ratio so turning on OD is same as.....well.......turning on OD, lol

Diesel trucks usually do a 2-speed rear end, which doubles possible ratios, but that is done more because of a diesel's limited RPM band

Gas engines have a much wider power band
And a 6-speed manual trans has the same ratios as a 5-speed, they just add an extra OD gear

Ford/GMs new 10-speed automatic(10R80) has THREE OverDrive ratios, lol, and a "granny gear"/4.6 ratio, for 1st which is not normally used starting off