Hello, My buddy’s Ranger has a slight delay shifting into reverse or drive when cold, but more noticeably flares up in rpm when it shifts from 2nd to 3rd and kicks into gear. This happened after we took down the pan and bench tested/cleaned all the solenoids with a 12v battery. During testing, the EPC solenoid had some trouble engaging. So we took out the screw on the back and shot some carburetor cleaner through and then it started to click again.

The transmission has a new filter and is filled with Mercon 5. We tried running Sea Foam Trans Tune to see if it would clear up anything in the valve body, but not much of a difference so far.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You.

 

Welcome to the forum

One thing to understand is that the Ranger 4R and 5R are the same transmissions, the generic name is 5R55E

Good article to read here: https://atracom.blob.core.windows.ne.../2003_5_50.pdf

Also google: 5R55E 2-3 flare

To read more about what worked and what didn't work

Automatics(any of them) have several interdependent systems so one symptom(2-3 flare) can have several causes
ALL Automatics run on fluid pressure, ALL
There are at least 2 pressure test ports on the outside of automatics to test internal pressure because that is one of the better ways to diagnose transmission issues
Pressure engages and disengages clutches and Bands(brakes), and that is what "the solenoids" control, the pressure at the clutches and bands, so it all starts with fluid pressure

If you drain the fluid and there are no "metal bits" in the pan/fluid, then the rotating mass in the main part of transmission is usually OK, which means symptoms are probably caused by valve body issue, gaskets and seals leaking so pressure is lost or not being routed to where it should be

But clutches and bands DO wear out, slipping(flares) cause them to wear out faster
Harsh/hard shifting is what happens in "safe mode" because it is actually better to prevent clutch and band wear, smoother shifting means some wear, like easing up the clutch pedal in a manual trans vs just letting it pop up on its own, lol, very jerky
Slipping is high clutch and band wear, like "riding the clutch" in a manual trans vehicle

Burnt smell and darker color in trans fluid means there is slipping going on

 

Thanks! I’ll definitely read the article. And there were no unusual large metal chunks that got caught on the magnet, just pastey fine metal. The transmission fluid did not smell burnt either, so I guess I’ll just take the valve body off and inspect for any blockages or signs of leaks in the gasket.

 

Actually I think it may be the epc solenoid I remember my buddy and his dad took out the screw to clean out the inside, but it says that the screw is and adjustment. Maybe the epc just needs to be adjusted?

 

EPC is not an easy adjustment for a DIYer, you should only turn it 1/8th turn in either direction, and which direction would be known after doing pressure tests

If you are pulling the valve body look at "Shift kits" for the 4R

 

Alright I’ll look into shift kits too. Thank you.