5R55E Overhaul Kit, new and ready to install. Fits the 5R55E. Ships fast from the USA.
Four-wheel-drive Ranger, Mazda B-series and 1997-2001 Explorer owners usually land on this page after the same chain of events: the truck started flaring between second and third, then lost fifth or engine braking, and now reverse takes a second or two to grab. When the pan comes off and the magnet is furred with black lining, a seal kit alone will not save it. This box is built for that job on a 4x4 truck. It combines the overhaul gasket and seal kit with a friction kit, a steel kit, all three bands (intermediate, overdrive and reverse), a deep 4x4 filter and a front pump bushing, so the whole unit can be renewed in one teardown.
The 5R55E grew out of the 1995 4R44E. Sonnax notes the 4.0L version was strengthened in 1996 into the 4R55E, and for 1997 Ford turned it into a five-speed by applying the front servo to get an overdriven first and fifth. That design leans hard on its bands: the front servo and band now work in more than one gear, and the intermediate and reverse bands hold drums against full engine torque. When line pressure sags, the bands are the first parts to slip and burn. A kit that reseals the unit but leaves old bands and glazed plates inside only buys time. Here the soft parts restore sealing in every clutch and servo circuit, while the new frictions, steels and bands replace the surfaces that actually wore out.
Be careful with this family, because a valve body fault can mimic worn hard parts and then destroy new ones. Sonnax reports that leakage in the EPC circuit causes delayed reverse, 1-2 and 2-3 flares and harsh shifts after a forced downshift, and that the same leakage breaks bands and blows out servo piston seals. Coast clutch valve leakage can remove fourth, fifth and engine braking on its own. Check line pressure and the EPC solenoid first, using the order laid out in our 5R55 harsh or delayed shifts walkthrough. If the pan is clean and pressure is low, start with the valve body. If the pan is full of lining, the unit needs this kit and the valve body needs attention too, or the new bands will burn the same way.
The listing covers 4R44E, 4R55E and 5R55E transmissions from 1997 on, in four-wheel-drive form, in Ford Ranger, Explorer and Mountaineer and Mazda B-series trucks. It ships with the deep 4x4 filter and does not include an extension housing bushing, because on a 4x4 the transfer case bolts to the back of the transmission and the 2WD tailshaft bushing is not used. A two-wheel-drive truck needs the 2WD version instead; the 5R55E overhaul kit for 1997-2011 is a lighter seal-only option. This kit does not fit the 5R55W, 5R55S or 5R55N in 2002 and later Explorers, Mustangs, Lincoln LS and Thunderbirds, which share little beyond the name; our 5R55 identification guide shows how to tell them apart. Read the transmission code on the door-jamb label, and if anything is unclear send us the year and VIN before ordering. Other parts for this family are on the 5R55 transmission parts page.
| Fits | 5R55E |
| 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.
It is listed for 4x4 units. It comes with the deep 4x4 filter and leaves out the extension housing bushing that a 2WD tailshaft needs. For a 2WD truck, choose a 2WD kit or order the bushing and correct filter separately.
Per the listing, the overhaul gasket and seal kit, a friction kit, a steel kit, the intermediate, overdrive and reverse bands, a deep 4x4 filter and a front pump bushing. It does not include hard parts such as drums, planetaries or the valve body.
No. The 5R55W, 5R55S and 5R55N are a different design from the 5R55E even though the names are close. Check the transmission code on the door-jamb label before you order.
Mercon V. Flush the cooler and lines first so none of the old fluid stays in the system, since Sonnax links the early factory Mercon V to solenoid failures in this family.
If line pressure was low or the unit broke bands, yes. Sonnax documents EPC circuit leakage in this valve body as a cause of broken bands and blown servo seals, so new bands can fail again if the valve body is reused as-is.
