Swap 4wd 5r55e tranny from 2001+ to 1998 ranger: DONE
#1
01-05-2010, 03:53 PM
Swap 4wd 5r55e tranny from 2001+ to 1998 ranger: DONE
In the thread below, I was trying to find out whether it was possible to swap newer 5r55e into my 1998 truck. It is possible. I had done it and found somebody else who had done the same
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...geability.html
Below,see email thread from Gino, another guy who had done the swap. Further down see question on this topic, answer and followups from JustAnswer.com from Chris - ford tech.
Oleg,
1. I didn't have any trouble with the starter bolts. My suspension and front wheels were hanging down from the truck being on the jack stands. Sorry I don't remember what tools I used on that but my starter bolts came right off.
2. I used compressed air but I took it easy. I didn't want tranny fluid spraying everywhere.
3. First off, I don't know if doing a flush on your truck is a good thing. Don't hold me responsible if your tranny project gets messed up because of this DIY proceedure.
I wanted to do this to my truck. Made good sense to me.
I kinda wanna say, the cooler line closest to the engine was the output line. I attached 2 hoses, 1 hose on ea. line comming from the trans. started the truck and watched fluid pour out from both. I placed my thumbs over the hoses and felt for pressure. Strong pressure was felt in the RIGHT line (as you face the trucks grill). I plugged the left line ( return line to trans) with a spark plug and let it just hang there. Next I reattached the pressureized line to the radiator and therefore continued the fluid flow thru my coolers. I collected fluid durring the flush from a hose attached to the trans fluid cooler and I simply tried to pour fluid into the funnel and dipstick tube as fast as I saw it exit into my collection bucket. Heres an aexample of what I did,,,,sorta.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsdPAadc9fY
Note, I read somewhere that the return fluid line is regulated by a thermostat ( makes sense) and that the fluid squeezes past bypass valves or gallys while the tranny is cold. thats why the fluid flows from both hoses. Only one of them has any serious pressure and if you cover the hose ends with your finger or thumb you'll see what i mean. Good luck and let me know if you have any problems.
- Hide quoted text -
WOW!!! This is a great write up! After I am finished with my swap, you or I should post this writeup with followups on forums for other people to see. This topic is obviously interesting for many, since older 5r55e have less then stellar rep, to say the least!
I already removed my old transmission and waiting to pick up new one on Monday. I am picking up 5r55e from 2004 ranger 4x4 4.0l. This is my first automatic transmission swap, but I replaced clutch in my 5spd 2000 mustang GT, so l already had transmission jack and knew to jack up the car as high as the stand jacks can safely handle, so I had no problem getting old tranny from under the car. I have couple more questions for you:
1) My biggest challenge was to loosen up the upper starter bolt. It is hard to reach and was really tight! I end up soaking the bolt for a few days in liquid wrench and lowering front axle to gain better access. Did you run into trouble with that bolt?
2) While my transmission is out I need to blow the lines and the cooler clean of the burned up fluid from the old transmission. Did you do it with compressor?
3) I am not sure which cooler line is intake or outlet into the transmission. I assume the line that comes out from the bottom of the radiator and feeds transmission is inlet. See attached picture. ( also note the third line that normally goes to the top of the radiator is missing from the picture. I broke it during removal and will need to replace it ).
4) Please let me know how you did the flush. I am not concerned about flushing transmission as much as I don't want the crap from the lines and cooler to feed back into the new transmission.
Thanks!
Oleg Rodionov
On Sun, Dec 27, 2009 at 12:04 AM, Gino wrote:
HI,
sorry to respond so late, I just saw this and It I've had the job done for a couple weeks now. It went smooth and the truck works well. I don't see any problems using the 2001 trans. Just hook up your vehicles electrical connections and forget about any extra stuff. The trans works fine without a ECM upgrade. My trans was a 5r55e from 2002. It was out of a 2003 ranger. My truck was a 99 ranger with a OHV engine. Again, NO PROBLEMS. BUT WATCH OUT FOR THE DIP STICK TUBE AND DIPSTICK. I chose to reuse the original from my truck. The one from the 03 ranger was longer so I just reused the original.
To tell ya the truth, it runs quieter and shifts more smoothly than the original ever did and I am the original owner. It feels so different I wondered if there was a problem but I like the new one more. At least it runs again.
The only problems I encountered were silly little mistakes that I caused.
1. I wanted to inspect my old trans for metal debris or whatever and also lighten it up a bit by draining the fluid. I dropped the pan with the cat converter still in place and what ended up happening to me was the pan dropped more towards the cat converter and a lot of fluid drenched the heat shield area. Next time,,, I'll make sure it drops toward the cross brace side behind the trans. I made sure to flush the outside of the cat with water so as to avoid a fire later on. Also, it seemed to continue to drip fluid for a couple days. Must be alot of fluid trapped inside there.
2.Everything was fine until I found the transmission adapter for my floor jack was too high off the ground. ( about 14 inches) I had to raise my truck up extra high on the jack stands and I placed extra stuff under the tires and wheels in case a failure happened. Still, I had to remove the torque converter from the trans and get creative with rolling the trans out from under. Do yourself a favor and have a "real transmission jack" one that drops the trans down real close to the floor. Also, Inspect the flywheel for cracks / broken teeth. Mine was OK but I've been told to check and replace it anyway. I found it was too expensive for me to replace and I'm hoping it still has its integrity.
Wrapping up the removal process, something I did was blow the fluid cooler lines to remove any old fluid and debris. More on that later.
Installation was a snap ,,,except for the tricky task of getting the trans under the truck and then installing the torque converter. Also, I tried to fill the converter with as much fluid as I could before putting it on the trans. Just me thinking too much I guess. More on that later too.
I wanted to do a fluid and filter change on the new trans once it was in. I took the time to drop the new pan and change the filter and gasket. I used this opportunity to inspect the pan for metal, debris, anything out of the ordinary. I was told that my new used unit had 200 miles on it and sure enough, the fluid I drained out looked brand new and the pan was so clean it was incredible. I am a happy camper at this point. I proceeded to finish the job.
Now that the job was finished I had to fill the transmission with fluid. Remember I said more on that later? Well, I forgot about the amount of fluid I added to the torque converter. Also, I blew anything trapped in the cooler and cooler lines out. What ended up happening was about a quart of fluid or more started gushing out of the vent at the top of the trans just before I thought I was finished adding all of the fluid. What a mess. I didn't have a clue how much was in there so I started the truck and hoped the empty cooler lines would take up some of the extra fluid. Needless to say, I had to spend a little extra time adding and checking. I guess you need to add only so much and then crank the motor over or start it up to move fluid thru the lines or something. I don't know cause I didn't have a manual. after that, I did a fluid flush by opening the trans cooler lines, finding the line from the trans pump, plugging the other end and I cycled about a case of fluid thru the trans. If you want to do this too, email me for more info.
That's it, Hope it helps. Again, sorry to take so long to respond.
Gino
JustAnswer thread:
Question
I am replacing transmission in 1998 Ford Ranger 4x4 4L. Would 5r55e transmission from 2001+ Ford work? I know that 2001+ 5r55e has extra ISS sensor, but it appears PCM should operate newer transmission without receiving ISS input
Answer
I'm Chris, Thanks for allowing me to help you here on Just Answer.
I have been comapring them on ford and it looks like this is going to be a compatable swap
Answer
The 02 and up explorer mountaineer will not work. Motorcraft just wen down, so I cant verify if a newer than 01 will work, but recalling the overhauls in my head they sure seem exactly the same to me speaking for the ranger that is.
Your Reply
12/22/2009 at 4:28 PM (10 minutes and 43 seconds later)
When I go to www.car-part.com and plug in 2001 Ford ranger 4x4 4.0L it displays 5r55e transmissions from 2002 and newer Ford explorer as well as Ford ranger. Is it wrong?
Answer
What should I do?
I am 100% sure the 4 door explorer 02 and up is not going to work in your ranger. I have rebuilt 100's of explorer transmissions. The 5R55 is whats throwing off car-part. The explorer uses the same number. However the last number is different. The mustang and lincoln LS also use a 5r55 but neither of those are like the ranger either. The only vehicles to use your design trans is the ranger, sport trac, 2 door explorer, mazda truck
Your Reply
12/22/2009 at 4:53 PM (19 minutes and 39 seconds later)
Good catch about explorer!
I am looking at 2004 Ford Ranger 4x4 4.0L donor at www.car-part.com
If I install this tranny, what would I need to do with disconnected ISS sensor sticking out from transmission?
Answer
Your model does not have a ISS so all you would need to do is not plug anything up to it.
Your Reply
12/22/2009 at 5:03 PM (4 minutes and 1 second later)
Your answers are satisfactory for me to proceed with the swap. I will release the funds in a week or so when I can verify your answers.
slvr00gt (Online) -- 1 Accept / 1 Question
Answer
Sounds good, keep in touch.
Your Reply
Hi Chris,
I am dealing with the junk yard to pick up that 5r55e transmission from 2004 ranger. Hopefully I will have it tomorrow.
Do you know why part interchanges at junk yards show a difference between 2003 and 2004 5r55e? Did any internal/external/connector changes to the transmission had occured between these two model years?
slvr00gt (Online) -- 1 Accept / 1 Question
Answer
Motorcraft shows the 01-03 the same and 04-05 the same.
Looking over the assembly and breakdown both 03-05 still look identical.
Answer
What should I do?
Motorcraft shows the 01-03 the same and 04-05 the same.
Looking over the assembly and breakdown both 03-05 still look identical.
They show no differences on the ford service manual. Reply if needed so we can resolve this thread on this concern.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...geability.html
Below,see email thread from Gino, another guy who had done the swap. Further down see question on this topic, answer and followups from JustAnswer.com from Chris - ford tech.
Oleg,
1. I didn't have any trouble with the starter bolts. My suspension and front wheels were hanging down from the truck being on the jack stands. Sorry I don't remember what tools I used on that but my starter bolts came right off.
2. I used compressed air but I took it easy. I didn't want tranny fluid spraying everywhere.
3. First off, I don't know if doing a flush on your truck is a good thing. Don't hold me responsible if your tranny project gets messed up because of this DIY proceedure.
I wanted to do this to my truck. Made good sense to me.
I kinda wanna say, the cooler line closest to the engine was the output line. I attached 2 hoses, 1 hose on ea. line comming from the trans. started the truck and watched fluid pour out from both. I placed my thumbs over the hoses and felt for pressure. Strong pressure was felt in the RIGHT line (as you face the trucks grill). I plugged the left line ( return line to trans) with a spark plug and let it just hang there. Next I reattached the pressureized line to the radiator and therefore continued the fluid flow thru my coolers. I collected fluid durring the flush from a hose attached to the trans fluid cooler and I simply tried to pour fluid into the funnel and dipstick tube as fast as I saw it exit into my collection bucket. Heres an aexample of what I did,,,,sorta.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsdPAadc9fY
Note, I read somewhere that the return fluid line is regulated by a thermostat ( makes sense) and that the fluid squeezes past bypass valves or gallys while the tranny is cold. thats why the fluid flows from both hoses. Only one of them has any serious pressure and if you cover the hose ends with your finger or thumb you'll see what i mean. Good luck and let me know if you have any problems.
- Hide quoted text -
WOW!!! This is a great write up! After I am finished with my swap, you or I should post this writeup with followups on forums for other people to see. This topic is obviously interesting for many, since older 5r55e have less then stellar rep, to say the least!
I already removed my old transmission and waiting to pick up new one on Monday. I am picking up 5r55e from 2004 ranger 4x4 4.0l. This is my first automatic transmission swap, but I replaced clutch in my 5spd 2000 mustang GT, so l already had transmission jack and knew to jack up the car as high as the stand jacks can safely handle, so I had no problem getting old tranny from under the car. I have couple more questions for you:
1) My biggest challenge was to loosen up the upper starter bolt. It is hard to reach and was really tight! I end up soaking the bolt for a few days in liquid wrench and lowering front axle to gain better access. Did you run into trouble with that bolt?
2) While my transmission is out I need to blow the lines and the cooler clean of the burned up fluid from the old transmission. Did you do it with compressor?
3) I am not sure which cooler line is intake or outlet into the transmission. I assume the line that comes out from the bottom of the radiator and feeds transmission is inlet. See attached picture. ( also note the third line that normally goes to the top of the radiator is missing from the picture. I broke it during removal and will need to replace it ).
4) Please let me know how you did the flush. I am not concerned about flushing transmission as much as I don't want the crap from the lines and cooler to feed back into the new transmission.
Thanks!
Oleg Rodionov
On Sun, Dec 27, 2009 at 12:04 AM, Gino wrote:
HI,
sorry to respond so late, I just saw this and It I've had the job done for a couple weeks now. It went smooth and the truck works well. I don't see any problems using the 2001 trans. Just hook up your vehicles electrical connections and forget about any extra stuff. The trans works fine without a ECM upgrade. My trans was a 5r55e from 2002. It was out of a 2003 ranger. My truck was a 99 ranger with a OHV engine. Again, NO PROBLEMS. BUT WATCH OUT FOR THE DIP STICK TUBE AND DIPSTICK. I chose to reuse the original from my truck. The one from the 03 ranger was longer so I just reused the original.
To tell ya the truth, it runs quieter and shifts more smoothly than the original ever did and I am the original owner. It feels so different I wondered if there was a problem but I like the new one more. At least it runs again.
The only problems I encountered were silly little mistakes that I caused.
1. I wanted to inspect my old trans for metal debris or whatever and also lighten it up a bit by draining the fluid. I dropped the pan with the cat converter still in place and what ended up happening to me was the pan dropped more towards the cat converter and a lot of fluid drenched the heat shield area. Next time,,, I'll make sure it drops toward the cross brace side behind the trans. I made sure to flush the outside of the cat with water so as to avoid a fire later on. Also, it seemed to continue to drip fluid for a couple days. Must be alot of fluid trapped inside there.
2.Everything was fine until I found the transmission adapter for my floor jack was too high off the ground. ( about 14 inches) I had to raise my truck up extra high on the jack stands and I placed extra stuff under the tires and wheels in case a failure happened. Still, I had to remove the torque converter from the trans and get creative with rolling the trans out from under. Do yourself a favor and have a "real transmission jack" one that drops the trans down real close to the floor. Also, Inspect the flywheel for cracks / broken teeth. Mine was OK but I've been told to check and replace it anyway. I found it was too expensive for me to replace and I'm hoping it still has its integrity.
Wrapping up the removal process, something I did was blow the fluid cooler lines to remove any old fluid and debris. More on that later.
Installation was a snap ,,,except for the tricky task of getting the trans under the truck and then installing the torque converter. Also, I tried to fill the converter with as much fluid as I could before putting it on the trans. Just me thinking too much I guess. More on that later too.
I wanted to do a fluid and filter change on the new trans once it was in. I took the time to drop the new pan and change the filter and gasket. I used this opportunity to inspect the pan for metal, debris, anything out of the ordinary. I was told that my new used unit had 200 miles on it and sure enough, the fluid I drained out looked brand new and the pan was so clean it was incredible. I am a happy camper at this point. I proceeded to finish the job.
Now that the job was finished I had to fill the transmission with fluid. Remember I said more on that later? Well, I forgot about the amount of fluid I added to the torque converter. Also, I blew anything trapped in the cooler and cooler lines out. What ended up happening was about a quart of fluid or more started gushing out of the vent at the top of the trans just before I thought I was finished adding all of the fluid. What a mess. I didn't have a clue how much was in there so I started the truck and hoped the empty cooler lines would take up some of the extra fluid. Needless to say, I had to spend a little extra time adding and checking. I guess you need to add only so much and then crank the motor over or start it up to move fluid thru the lines or something. I don't know cause I didn't have a manual. after that, I did a fluid flush by opening the trans cooler lines, finding the line from the trans pump, plugging the other end and I cycled about a case of fluid thru the trans. If you want to do this too, email me for more info.
That's it, Hope it helps. Again, sorry to take so long to respond.
Gino
JustAnswer thread:
Question
I am replacing transmission in 1998 Ford Ranger 4x4 4L. Would 5r55e transmission from 2001+ Ford work? I know that 2001+ 5r55e has extra ISS sensor, but it appears PCM should operate newer transmission without receiving ISS input
Answer
I'm Chris, Thanks for allowing me to help you here on Just Answer.
I have been comapring them on ford and it looks like this is going to be a compatable swap
Answer
The 02 and up explorer mountaineer will not work. Motorcraft just wen down, so I cant verify if a newer than 01 will work, but recalling the overhauls in my head they sure seem exactly the same to me speaking for the ranger that is.
Your Reply
12/22/2009 at 4:28 PM (10 minutes and 43 seconds later)
When I go to www.car-part.com and plug in 2001 Ford ranger 4x4 4.0L it displays 5r55e transmissions from 2002 and newer Ford explorer as well as Ford ranger. Is it wrong?
Answer
What should I do?
I am 100% sure the 4 door explorer 02 and up is not going to work in your ranger. I have rebuilt 100's of explorer transmissions. The 5R55 is whats throwing off car-part. The explorer uses the same number. However the last number is different. The mustang and lincoln LS also use a 5r55 but neither of those are like the ranger either. The only vehicles to use your design trans is the ranger, sport trac, 2 door explorer, mazda truck
Your Reply
12/22/2009 at 4:53 PM (19 minutes and 39 seconds later)
Good catch about explorer!
I am looking at 2004 Ford Ranger 4x4 4.0L donor at www.car-part.com
If I install this tranny, what would I need to do with disconnected ISS sensor sticking out from transmission?
Answer
Your model does not have a ISS so all you would need to do is not plug anything up to it.
Your Reply
12/22/2009 at 5:03 PM (4 minutes and 1 second later)
Your answers are satisfactory for me to proceed with the swap. I will release the funds in a week or so when I can verify your answers.
slvr00gt (Online) -- 1 Accept / 1 Question
Answer
Sounds good, keep in touch.
Your Reply
Hi Chris,
I am dealing with the junk yard to pick up that 5r55e transmission from 2004 ranger. Hopefully I will have it tomorrow.
Do you know why part interchanges at junk yards show a difference between 2003 and 2004 5r55e? Did any internal/external/connector changes to the transmission had occured between these two model years?
slvr00gt (Online) -- 1 Accept / 1 Question
Answer
Motorcraft shows the 01-03 the same and 04-05 the same.
Looking over the assembly and breakdown both 03-05 still look identical.
Answer
What should I do?
Motorcraft shows the 01-03 the same and 04-05 the same.
Looking over the assembly and breakdown both 03-05 still look identical.
They show no differences on the ford service manual. Reply if needed so we can resolve this thread on this concern.
#3
10-17-2011, 09:50 PM
5r55e transmission
Guys, I have a problem I hope you can help me with. I have a 1998 ford ranger 4x4 4.0 6 cyl. truck with a 5r55e automatic transmission thats bad .I would like to know if a 2006 5R55E automatic transmission would work, the guy I bought it from said it would but everyone else is saying the electronics will not work. I would also like to know what years will fit.Thanks any help would be greatly appreciated.
#4
10-18-2011, 12:08 AM
Guys, I have a problem I hope you can help me with. I have a 1998 ford ranger 4x4 4.0 6 cyl. truck with a 5r55e automatic transmission thats bad .I would like to know if a 2006 5R55E automatic transmission would work, the guy I bought it from said it would but everyone else is saying the electronics will not work. I would also like to know what years will fit.Thanks any help would be greatly appreciated.
Read the OP for all the details
#5
10-18-2011, 05:41 PM
5r55e transmission
Thanks for the information, I have a couple more questions. the u joint on the new transfer case is smaller then the old one what do you do swap transfer cases or just swap the I don't know what you would call it looks like a mini drive shaft. also what do you do about the electronics on the transmission just not plug it up? Thanks in advance.
#6
10-18-2011, 05:58 PM
Thanks for the information, I have a couple more questions. the u joint on the new transfer case is smaller then the old one what do you do swap transfer cases or just swap the I don't know what you would call it looks like a mini drive shaft. also what do you do about the electronics on the transmission just not plug it up? Thanks in advance.
#7
10-19-2011, 10:28 AM
Trending Topics
#8
11-14-2011, 03:28 PM
5r55e automatic transmission
Ok guys need more help I just put a 2006 5r55e automatic transmission in my 1998 ford ranger 4.0 4x4 truck it now has reverse but not drive.I left everything unplugged still no drive there are four places to plug into on trans I only have three plugs that I can plug up can someone please tell me how it should be plugged up, or if there is something else I need to do?
#9
11-14-2011, 03:42 PM
#10
11-14-2011, 03:51 PM
#12
11-16-2011, 04:29 PM
#13
11-16-2011, 04:41 PM
Try putting your xfer case in low 4x4 and see if you still have no drive. This might help to isolate any potential xfer case problems from tranny
#15
11-16-2011, 09:56 PM
Another simple thing to check is your shift cable/shift lever mechanism. Reverse is the first shift position on the transmission. Take the shift cable off the transmission shift lever and try to manually shift it through its positions. reverse, neutral drive, etc. Put the shift cable back on and make sure that when you put it in drive it actually is in drive.
If it all checks out ok... it starting to look like a problem internal to the tranny. [It is quite possible that the used tranny you got is bad to begin with...I would suggest you go to JustAnswer and try to ask question "Chris (aka- Moose)" He is a professional ford tranny tech that I talked with before He might be able to give you more insight.
If it all checks out ok... it starting to look like a problem internal to the tranny. [It is quite possible that the used tranny you got is bad to begin with...I would suggest you go to JustAnswer and try to ask question "Chris (aka- Moose)" He is a professional ford tranny tech that I talked with before He might be able to give you more insight.