Hi,

My 99 4x4 4.0L with 177K miles has 1% reverse power on inclines and whines and crackles otherwise. There's no reliable up/down shifting on hard acceleration and OD works intermittently. If 3rd is bad, I can't easily tell. I'm resigned paying for a rebuild but hesitant ($$$). I'm not just being cheap. This truck is old.

I can't physically un/re-install it myself. I watched the videos. It's not for me. The local mechanics will do that for a few hours work.

As for the transmission, there are choices:

Pay the mechanic full to rebuild mine and beg him to do the hard parts too (he leans toward not replacing stuff unless it's really dead). He's good, affordable, not bad, not great.

Should I try to REBUILD one myself? My experience is "noob". I can rebuild a two cylinder lawnmower engine and I did the propeller shaft. Could a trans be much worse? Watching the videos, there are so many parts to flip up and backward and SO many seals to bungle. This is probably the cheapest option. But keeping track of all the parts, bolt lengths, cleanliness in a garage, seems like something left for professionals. I've got more time than money. Have you done it? Are you a noob?

Or is there a premium rebuild transmission brand? Motorcraft only lasted 177k miles . Rock Auto and Exact Powertrain just don't have enough good reviews or really happy customers to feel good about.

Maybe transmission places will do the rebuild for me to my specs. Is that crazy expensive? I want the hard and soft parts replaced. 30 years of driving and never had a tranny go down on me.

(edited...added pic from RockAuto with 4 bajillion parts in the rebuild kit, of which many look identical.... this seems like work for someone who's watched it being done 17,000 times. More respect to all good mechs.)

 

Why not give it a try?

If its broken now you certainly can't hurt it, lol

You have a 5R55E(same as 4R55E) and there are several rebuild videos you can watch a few times before you start
Pictures are free, take lots

 

Warming up to motivate...

thanks for the part number. This is some fancy European transmission history. That trans design goes back to Bordeaux France! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_C3_transmission

 

I found a used non-refurb trans at a trusted local yard. It has 97000 miles on it.

Seems i I have three options:

1) I can flush and install the used one and hope for 50k trouble free miles. I'll do any obviously leaky seals/gaskets.
2) is there anything I should replace since it's accessible? Without full tear down. If it's full of metal, warranty covers it. It'll go back.
3) maybe just do the valve body seal? But at that point I should do a shift kit and maybe full rebuild.

then I'll rebuild my old one with a shift kit and maybe recoup some $$$ on eBay? Maybe RF marketplace? I would never oversell it as a noob rebuilder. I hate being upside down on an old truck. Update... OD light started flashing.

 

Flush the transmission cooler and trans lines a few times before hooking them up to the new transmission. If there's any junk in the trans cooler from your old transmission, it will make it's way to the used transmission and destroy it in short order under the right conditions.