Hey guys,

recently got a code for p0743 on my 2000 3.0. I dropped my transmission pan to look at it and could see the valve body gasket was torn on the rear servo section. So I dropped the valve body and inspected it. Heard about the revised separator plate with the bonded gaskets on Ranger Station and decided to buy one. Just got it and it looks very different from my old one. One of my star headed screws that holds the plate to valve body is no longer visible and it’s off on the rear servo by about a quarter inch. Valve body screws do line up however. Part # checks out. 1l5z7z490ea. Any feedback would be awesome. I did change the TCC & EPC solenoid as well as the wiring harness to address the code but now I’m stuck. My old plate got a hairline crack on the corner so I can’t reuse that. And the parts people said I can’t return anything that’s been installed. So before I get this thing all nasty and greased up, I wanted to check it out with you guys first

 

Looks to be correct part number: 98/00 3.0L Ranger Plate – Valve Body Separator 1L5Z-7Z490-EA 98GT-EB/FB; XL5P-AA/BA

It is a 2001 Ranger part number 1 = 2001, L5 = Ranger
XL5P-7Z490-AA/BA is X = 1998, L5 = Ranger

So it should be OK

But the 2001 3.0l Rangers did have a slightly different transmission, the 5R44E, that had ISS and OSS sensors added to the outside, but internally the valve bodies should be the same

 

Thanks for the response Ron. I am indeed in a pickle. I will include a picture of the separator plates over lapping so you can have a better idea of what I am dealing with. The holes line up except for the rear section. This plate appears to be wider than the original. I called Ford and they gave me the same part # that you provided. But they no longer carry the original because it is obsolete so I have very little options except maybe trying to patch my old one with assembly silicone and hope for the best. I am not very transmission savvy so idk if there are better options for me.

 

No, that's for sure not right

Should look like this when on the valve body: https://www.therangerstation.com/tec...y_gasket-4.jpg

Could there have been a transmission swap on the 2000 Ranger so there is an older or newer model 4R or 5R 44E, either will work on a 2000 3.0l
Any white stickers or metal tags to be seen on the case?

This article has more info on different gasket/plate by year: https://www.therangerstation.com/tec...e-body-gasket/

 

I hadn’t thought of that because I have been operating under the assumption that it is the original 4r44e that came with the truck. Or maybe the company I bought this plate from, messed up on their end. Do the revisions on the plate change a lot from the original? That’s what threw me off and made me second guess myself. Ok I’m gonna do more diggin! Thanks again for the response and I will be back with an update.

 

There is this: https://www.therangerstation.com/wp-...t_patterns.png

If you have 18 pan bolts and 4 solenoids that limits it to 1995 to 2000 4R44E

 

now we’re talkin!! That should help out a lot. Also, I didn’t even ask you. But what would you do in my position? After finding out the exact transmission, would you try to find an original plate or look for a revised bonded gasket plate? Any other plates that would work and may have a slightly different part #? I haven’t done any shift kit improvements but have thought about it. Transmission has always been good to me so I don’t think it needs a rebuild.

 

Bonded gasket plate always, common failing in the 4R44E/4R55E, 2001 and up 5Rs only came with bonded plates from factory

 

I found a code carved into the casing. RFXL2P-7002AB. Trying to find it online but no luck yet

 

That's the Casting number for the outer shell/case of the transmission, RFXL2P-7002AB
RFXL2P looks to be 4R or 5R
7002 is 4R
7006 is 5R and has 2 extra holes in the case for ISS and OSS sensors
AB is a revision so no help

At least you know its a 4R

 

very true! Thank you Ron. I found a transmission parts distributor about an hour away that supposedly has the separator plate I need. I’m gonna take my old one with me to make sure. Fingers crossed! And I’ll keep y’all updated.

 

So the transmission distributor did not have the revised plate that I needed. I went back to the junkyard and as luck would have it. They had a 2000 ford ranger 3.0 flex. Same exact vehicle as mine. The transmission was still there, thank god, and I grabbed the separator plate. Same exact plate as mine. Not bonded gasket though. This one however looks to worked on. Some jackass took the old gasket off with a wire wheel and you can see the circular scratches across the metal. Not heavy scratches by any means, but definitely noticeable. I also noticed they had used an aluminum plug to plug one of the holes in the plate. I remember seeing this in the manual for the TransGo shift improvement kit. That was the only difference in the plates. Should I remove this? I was told that I shouldn’t do a shift kit unless the tranmission needed it and showed signs of needing it but my transmission always functioned good except for a slightly hard clunk into reverse which I figured was the torn gasket. I remember also that the shift kit manual said to drill an exhaust hole in the valve body as one of the improvements. What’s your take on that shift kit Ron? I don’t want to do it unless I need too. But I also don’t wanna do it first before reassembly because that might cause another problem before fixing this one and I won’t know if I fixed the original problem.

 

Many recommend the shift kits, I don't have an opinion either way, since I haven't drive one with or without the kit

 

I hear ya man. appreciate the honest answer. I won’t do it unless after reassembly I still have an issue.

 

I installed the bonded plate in my '99 Ranger 3.0 and I also installed a shift kit that had a pressure relief valve. If I was installing a non bonded gasket I would go for a shift kit with the pressure relief valve as these transmissions are notorious for blowing out the gasket.