From what I have read it could possibly be a valve body issue/ seal failure (what I hope at least)

truck is a 1996 Ranger 4x4, 4.0. I’m purchasing it from a family friend, and he says it needs a trans. It has 204k on the clock.

The owner says it will go into forward gears, slips sometimes between 2-3, reverse will work with no issues whatsoever, then other times it’s as if it won’t work it all.

PO said if you manually shift from 1-2-3-4 it will not slip or flare, but reverse is its own issue. Is the trans toast, or possibly a simple fix? I plan to drop the pan/check the condition of the fluid asap.

 

Welcome to the forum

Its very hard to pinpoint what a specific issue is in any automatic, not a Ford thing, lol

They just have too many interdependent systems required to work together for smooth operation

The basic system that ALL other systems rely on is ATF fluid pressure, 120psi is needed for forward gears and 160psi for Reverse, which is why reverse is often the first to go on automatics when there is a pressure issue
There is a pump in the front of the transmission that is turned by the torque converters housing, so it spins at engine RPMs, if there is a pressure issue REVing the engine can increase pressure, so if that works to get it "in gear" then at least PART of the problem is pressure related.

The pump sends all the fluid pressure to the Valve Body, in the old days the valve body used springs and vacuum from engine to route this pressure via valves in the valve body, 1995 and up Ranger automatics use Solenoids to operate the valves
The pressure is routed to Clutches and Bands(brakes) in the rotating part of transmission, the planetary gears

If there is a pressure issue then yes, replacing Valve Body gasket(separator plate) and testing solenoids might squeeze a few more miles out of an automatic
But the clutches and bands do wear out, just like wheel brakes do and clutches in a manual transmission, in an automatic I think 250-300k is about the limit for these before replacement
BUT...........if an automatic has been "slipping" or showing signs of a problem, that wears out the clutches and bands FASTER, just like "riding the brakes or clutch" would do
And the slipping also causes HEAT build up in the fluid, and this is an automatic transmission KILLER, which is why 2nd trans coolers are a must have, not just for towing, best $65 you can spend on any automatic vehicle

So at 204k its a hard call, you can do repairs on the valve body, you can even replace the valve body, its not that expensive, but "eyes wide open" there are not alot of miles left on the clutches and bands

You have a 4R55E transmission, it was only used on the Ranger 4.0l from 1995 to 1997, so not alot of used ones out there, and none with lower miles, lol
And MUST be for a 4x4, 2WD trans can not be used or converted

So if you get the truck plan on a full rebuild for this transmission in the next year or two.

 

i read about swapping in a later 5r55e, that it would plug and play, and behave the same as a 4r without a pcm swap, since the “2nd gear” is created by the computer. If it would bolt up, is the transfer case and whatnot all swappable? Or is it not worth saving the money? I know it has to be a 55 either way due to the torque rating. Can you shed any light on that? Like you said, the 4’s are quite hard to find, while the 5’s are everywhere....

 

Yes, as far as I know, and reports from people who have done it, say the 5R55E will work in place of the 1995-1997 4R55E, 2001 and up have an extra sensor, but you don't need it

The 55E only came on the 4.0l OHV or SOHC engines, and they have the same bolt pattern, 2001 and up will have an extra bolt hole, you won't use it

Yes, any Ranger transfer case from 1983 to 2011 will bolt to any Ranger 4x4 transmission, the pattern never changed
Mazda B4000 used the same transmissions as Rangers by year

Your transfer case has the speedometer sensor so you need to keep it, 1998 and up Rangers used 2 different speed setups, so you don't want to open that door, lol

New torque converter, always
And if its your first automatic swap, SEAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER inside the bell housing, ALL THE WAY, THEN put transmission onto engine, if you forget, then forget that transmission it will need a rebuild to fix it

 

thanks for clearing that up! Gonna pick up a low mile trans and give her the ketchup. Is there a particular year model that will work better than others?

 

Just the low mile part is better, 2004 and up will be actual miles because odometer couldn't be changed, it was digital
2003 and earlier Rangers/Mazdas, had odometers that could be rolled back, not saying they were, but sellers of used parts have no way to verify odometer in most cases

 

would a shift kit help prolong this same situation from happening in the future if I installed this in the “new” trans?

I apologize for my ignorance, my knowledge lies more in engines and other categories- automatics are uncharted territory for me

 

Many like the shift kit, no, it would have no effect on longevity, and I would run the Used Transmission for a bit before modifying it, that would void any warranty, if it comes with one

Also make sure "DIY install" is allowed if there is a warranty

 

it’s an ebay crash pull. Not too expensive so it’s worth a shot, only like 130k miles. Hoping to get at least a year out of it, anything else is a bonus!

 

The truck is actually a 1997. The door sticker is gone so I can’t identify the trans, and it won’t shift correctly so I can’t identify the number of shifts. Any idea how to tell? I tried some vin decoders, but it didn’t specify what trans I have.

When I manually drop into 1st, and shift to second, it works fine. Seems to slip a lot in drive, but if it goes into gear it seems to shift ok, overdrive kicks in once I get to speed, albeit a bit jerky.

if I stop, I cannot leave it in drive or it just slips. I have to put it down into 1 and repeat the process for it to move. I checked fluid level, it’s quite a bit past the full hot mark even when it’s cold, fluid is a bit dark.

Would changing the fluid and filter, checking for clutch material, and replacing the VB gasket be worth my time? I would imagine it’s throwing it off quite a bit.

 

The 4R's have an 18 bolt pan, 5R's a 16 bolt pan

Seen here: https://www.therangerstation.com/wp-...t_patterns.png

All 4.0l Rangers used the 55E model
So if 18 bolt you have a 4R55E
If 16 bolt then a 5R55E

The last A4LD was used in 1994 Rangers, so its not that

 

is the 5r55e the trans with the OD drum sensor and the 4r is without? The salvage yards keep asking me and I don’t know. I apologize once again for my ignorance

 

The OD drum sensor was never used so a non-issue.
Ford's Tech sheet on the OD sensor is........If you have the 2 wire plug on the vehicles wiring harness for the OD sensor and replacement transmission doesn't have the OD sensor, cut the 2 wires and twist them together, then weather proof the connection, this prevents computer form setting an OD sensor code, because it "sees" the wires are connected

OD sensor is on the top front of transmission housing, by the bellhousing, so you don't need it on ANY year Ranger, or Explorer for that matter, lol

 

so in other words it doesn’t matter, it’s the same trans?

 

Yes, 1995-2000 were the same, 2001-2011 were 5R but can be used in 1995-2000 as 4R, or 5R in 1998-2000 4.0l but not the other way around............

2001 and up Rangers can ONLY USE 2001 and up automatics

4R and 5R are models, NOT the engine they fit, bell housings are different for each engine
44E and 55E are torque capacities, the 4cyl and 3.0l V6 use 44E, only the 4.0l V6 used the 55E

Now there is the speedometer issue, 1995-1997 Rangers used the speedometer cable hole in tail shaft if 2WD, 1998 and up transmissions don't have that hole, but the drive gear is still inside on the tail shaft, so you need to swap tail shaft housings to get access to speedometer hookup

 

Counted holes, I have the dang 4r55e. Going to get a transmission from the local salvage yard tomorrow.

They list it as a 1997 5r55e, 4x4, no OD sensor. Should I grab the pcm and transfer case or just swap my tcase and use my current 4r pcm? Anything else worth grabbing? Gonna replace the dripping rear main while I have the trans out.

Hopefully everything will go smoother than my previous endeavors with this truck!

 

Well 1998 is when Ranger 4.0l engines officially got the 5R, although some have reported 5R in a 1997, but never seen it myself

If its listed as a 5R count the bolts, if its 1997 it more than likely is a 4R, its just 5R55E seems to be the generic name for any Ranger transmission after 1995, lol

And look at the bellhousing, 3.0l and 4.0l side by side here: https://www.therangerstation.com/wp-...ellhousing.jpg
Not even close, and notice the 3 bolt holes for starter, dead give away
The 2.3l engine bell housings have starter on opposite side of the V6s

Guys at wrecking yards often don't know what engine was in a vehicle, its just on a list, no one checks, so you do need to know what you need

If your transfer case works OK then use it, no reason to buy someone else's headache, which is what used parts can be, just saying, lol

No on the computer

 

my 4x4 isn’t working. Honestly not sure why it isn’t but I’m sure a clapped out transmission is a solid portion of it

 

The 4x4 system should shift between 2WD and 4High regardless of transmissions state, as far as 4high dash light going on and off
Could be a blown fuse in engine bay, or shift motor was failed
If 4WD lights flash when you try to shift transfer case then one of the above

Both 4WD lights should come on with Key ON, that is a BULB TEST, not a 4x4 system test, all dash bulbs should light up during this test, its so the owner can tell if a warning bulb is burned out

 

can you take a 2wd trans and put the 4x4 output shaft/tcase on it? Buddy has a good one for free...

 

No.

And for automatics you would have to do a full rebuild to replace the longer 2WD output shaft with the shorter 4x4 output shaft

 

got a trans for $200 from a salvage yard near home. I lucked out! Fluid was still pink, no burnt smell. Changed tcase and trans fluid, bolted everything up, and she shifts smooth as silk now.

shift motor was shot out, that was why 4x4 wouldn’t engage. Got a new one bolted in, it’s working good as well. Thanks again for answering all my questions. Hopefully I won’t have to do another major transplant for a while, I don’t think my hands can withstand any more cuts lol

 

Good stuff

Thanks for the follow up post