I bought a 1998 ford ranger xlt 2.5 liter one year ago the transmission has a hard shift in first gear and some times it shifts hard in second gear. The other problem is some times when I'm driving the transmission has a delayed shift and other times there's no gear's and let off the gas and it will go back into gear, and a few time when you're in first gear the engine will just rev up and first gear will not engage, but if you shift it back to park and put in back in drive it will drive fine. Parts I have changed to try to fix the problem replaced all vacuum lines, idle control valve, clean EGR valve, replaced automatic transmission filter and fluid, replace throttle position sensor, clean throttle valve, replace the ABS speed sensor, cleaned MAF sensor, cleaned upper and lower O2 sensors, change catalytic converter, change Muffler, and there is no check engine lights I believe the transmission is a 4R44E automatic transmission. Don't know if I should try to rebuild it or buy used transmission if anybody has any information that could help I would appreciate it thank you.

 

Welcome to the forum

Yes, you do have a 4R44E automatic
And its an internal transmission problem, nothing external will help

How many miles are on the transmission?
Or do you know?

That will decide the next step, i.e. rebuild or try a repair
Generally if automatics have over 175k miles you would do a rebuild, because clutch and brakes(bands) will be worn out

Used transmission is a roll of the dice, you can be buying someone else problem, but up to you
It may be hard to find one that fits a 1995-2001 2.3l or 2.5l Lima engine, you need to match that not 4R44E, 4R44E is just the model number not what it fits

 

I don't know how many miles are on the automatic transmission because I bought it a year ago and the guy before me had no clue how many miles are on the transmission. But I do smell liking oil burning, some kind of fluid burning when I drive it and it's not coming from the engine oil and I replaced all power steering fluid. And sometimes it makes some kind of weird loud like grinding or metal sound. But other times it drives perfect.

 

How many miles on the odometer?

 

224,756 miles but the person I bought the truck off said there was a lot of work done to it don't know how much I believe him though the transmission fluid was kind of dark when I changed it and smell burnt

 

200k-250k is approx life of automatics if marginally maintained, which is what yours reads like
Dark color is from running hot and Burnt smell is from slipping clutches and bands which adds to the running hot

I would look at pricing for local rebuild or swapping in a rebuilt
And look at used if you can find one, any warranty doesn't include labor to install or remove
Price it all out

Then decide how long you want to own this vehicle, if a rebuild is say $2,000 and it lasts 36 months, 3 years thats $55month, 5 years $33/month

 

I think I'm going to try to rebuild it myself I'm someone mechanically inclined I am a poor boy disabled so don't have lots of money that's the only way I can see I can afford to do it thank you for all your help and information