5R55E Overhaul Kit 1997-2011, new and ready to install. Fits the 5R55E. Ships fast from the USA.
If your 4.0L Ranger, Mazda B4000 or 1997-2001 Explorer is slow to back up, drips fluid from the bellhousing, or blew a servo cover seal, this is the reseal kit for its 5R55E. It is a new 1997-2011 overhaul kit for the 5R55E, and the same kit is listed for the 5R44E and 4R44E. Inside are the gaskets, metal-clad seals, O-rings and rubber seals a teardown uses up. It is not a clutch kit: frictions, steel plates, bands, the filter, the bushing set and the converter are sold separately. Buy it when the hard parts and plates are still usable, or pair it with a plate kit when they are not.
The 5R55E is the heavy-duty five-speed of the small Ford rear-drive family, built for the 4.0L Cologne V6. Ford made the original four-speed a five-speed for 1997 by applying the front servo to overdrive first gear, which became the new second, so this transmission depends on its bands and servos more than most. The Ranger Station rates the 4.0L 4R55E it grew from at 550 lb-ft after converter multiplication, against 440 for the light-duty 44 version. That extra torque goes through the same type of seals, so the seals in this kit are what keep each servo and clutch piston at full apply pressure. Sonnax points out that both servos are charged on the release side in reverse, which is why worn or blown servo rubber is so often the reason a 5R55E backs up slowly or not at all.
A new seal kit will not survive a valve body that is overpressurizing the case. Sonnax lists a worn pressure regulator bore, boost sleeve wear or a stuck line booster valve as the causes of blown-out servo covers, and gives a good maximum EPC of 125-130 psi in overdrive and up to 144 psi in reverse. Their tips also tie a 3-4 flare in the five-speed to a worn intermediate servo pin bore or a spring that is too strong, which seals alone do not cure. Put a gauge on line pressure first, then work through the checks in our 5R55 harsh or delayed shifts walkthrough. If pressure is in range and the fault is a leak or a tired servo, this kit is the right repair.
The kit is listed for 1997-2011 5R55E, 5R44E and 4R44E units in Ford, Mercury, Mazda and Lincoln applications. In Rangers, the Ranger Station puts the 5R55E behind the 4.0L from 1998 to 2011 (transmission code D on the door label). The 5R55E and 5R44E look almost the same. The quick tell is the bellhousing: the 55 uses the 4.0L Cologne bolt pattern with an extra reinforcement hole and a larger converter. This kit does not fit the 5R55N, 5R55S or 5R55W in 2002-and-later Explorers, Mustangs and Lincoln LS. Those are a different design, covered in our 5R55 identification guide. Check your door-label code, or send us your year and VIN, and browse every matching part on the 5R55 parts page.
| Fits | 5R55E 1997-2011 |
| Part type | Overhaul Kit |
| Condition | New |
| Brand | OEM |
| Ships | From the USA |
| Warranty | 1-year |
Doing this repair right usually means replacing these at the same time. Same transmission, ships together.
Yes, if it has the 5R55E, which the Ranger Station lists behind the 4.0L from 1998 to 2011. Look for transmission code D on the door-jamb label and confirm the Cologne V6 bellhousing pattern.
No. Explorers from 2002 on use the 5R55W or 5R55S, which is a different transmission. This kit is for the 5R55E used in 1997-2001 Explorers and in Rangers and Mazda pickups.
No. It contains gaskets, metal-clad seals, O-rings and seals. Frictions, steels, bands, the filter, bushings and the torque converter are not included.
Often, since both servos charge on the release side in reverse and leaking servo seals delay it. Sonnax also lists low line pressure and a missing SSA solenoid signal as causes, so check pressure first.
Mercon V automatic transmission fluid. Check the level hot, with the engine running, after a short drive.
