just looking for some ideas why i dont have reverse in my 99 exploer 4.0 ohv. all the gears shift smoothly exept reverse(like in neutral and the idle drops). when i rev the rpms for sometime the truck will move backwards just slightly. does this have to do with the low/reverse servo seals or something more?

 

I just rebuilt my 5E55R in my 2001 Explorer, all forward gears work fine but I have no reverse, the band was in good shape and I had reverse before. I bought a valve body from a shop that said all solenoids were good on it. Any help out there?

 

I'll put a good bet on a broken band, they were common for it. Try manual 1 and see if it gives you issues as well. In drive the transmission uses the forward clutches, manual 1 uses the band

 

I just rebuilt the trans the band looked good, all forward speeds work fine. could it be in the valve body? i installed a used one from a shop that said all solenoids were good.

 

It's possible there could be a stuck valve. Are you sure you got the low/reverse piston pin engaged in the band. I did that once before, you never forget after you do it. You need to have the trans laying valvebody surface up to install that piston, if not the band will slide and miss the pin. If it is out of place you can fix it in the truck by moving the band into place with a pick and small screwdriver. If you don't find a problem in either of those areas good chance you'll have to pull it again.

 

1st / low works fine with the shift lever in that posision. reverse acts just like neutral.

 

The solenoids have no function for reverse so those aren't an issue yet. If the valvebody moves freely then your problem is internal. Sounds like you could have possibly put the sprag in backwards or have a clutch pack leaking.

 

Instead of just having 1st gear it needs to have engine braking in manual low. Pull it down into low and drive it to about 15 or 20 mph and let off the throttle, the engine should slow the vehicle down, if it just rolls and the rpms drops to idle the low/ reverse band is NOT applying.

 

good call on that, I forgot to mention that important point.