5R55W Clutch Drum 2001-2005, remanufactured and ready to install. Fits the 5R55W. Ships fast from the USA.
A 5R55W that slips or flares going into 4th, loses 5th, and is slow to pick up reverse is usually telling you the direct clutch has burned. When that pack overheats, the drum that carries it often comes out with a damaged piston bore, worn sealing ring lands or heat-checked steel splines. This is a reconditioned 5R55W direct clutch drum listed for 2001-2005, inspected and ready to build, for Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer owners and the shops rebuilding their transmissions.
The direct clutch is the pack most techs call the 3-4 clutch on this unit. Sonnax describes it as applied in Reverse, 4th and 5th by the PC-C variable force solenoid, with apply oil routed through the reverse pressure modulator and reverse engagement valves first. Ford's clutch and band application chart lines up with that: 4th is the forward clutch plus the direct clutch, 5th adds the overdrive band, and reverse uses the reverse band, coast clutch and direct clutch together. The drum holds the frictions and steels and carries the piston that squeezes them. If the piston bore leaks or the drum is cracked, apply pressure bleeds off and the clutch slips in all three of those ranges.
The trap on this unit is that the valve body causes the same complaint. Sonnax lists wear at the reverse modulator valve bore as a cause of delayed reverse, no 4th, no 5th and a burned direct clutch, which means a new drum and clutches can burn up again if the bore is not repaired. Read our 5R55W 3-4 clutch failure guide for the wet air test that separates a valve body leak from a mechanical failure, and use the Explorer slipping guide to match which gears slip to the part responsible. Slip in 4th only points at the direct clutch; slip in every forward gear points elsewhere.
This drum is listed for the 5R55W, 2001-2005. Sonnax dates the 5R55W in the Explorer and Mountaineer to 2002-2003, with the 5R55S taking over for 2004-2005, and the earlier 2001 Explorer models used other transmissions. If you have a 2001 vehicle or a 2004-2005 5R55S, send us your year and VIN before ordering and compare the old drum against the photo, including the outer tabs and hub. All of our parts for this family are on the 5R55 transmission parts page, and the 2002 5R55W clutch drum is the other listing to compare if yours does not match.
Install new direct clutch frictions and steels plus new piston seals and sealing rings; never reuse plates from a burned pack. Air-check the piston after assembly and set the pack clearance to spec. If the valve body has not been repaired, fix it at the same time: a reconditioned 5R55W valve body or the corrective parts in a 5R55W shift kit address the worn bores that starve this clutch. Fill with Mercon V. The installation guide we cite lists a dry fill of about 12.4 to 12.7 quarts behind the 4.0L and 4.6L, with the level checked at the T30 Torx fill and check plug. Sonnax also notes that Ford units built after 2002 use adaptive shift strategy, so clear adaptives and let the computer relearn after the repair.
| Fits | 5R55W 2001-2005 |
| Part type | Clutch Drum |
| Condition | Remanufactured |
| 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 the direct clutch drum, the pack that applies in Reverse, 4th and 5th. Many shops call it the 3-4 clutch drum.
The listing covers 2001-2005, but the 5R55W itself went into the Explorer and Mountaineer from 2002. If you have a 2001, or a 2004-2005 unit that is a 5R55S, send us the year and VIN so we can confirm fitment first.
Usually low apply pressure. Wear at the reverse modulator valve bore leaks direct clutch apply oil, so repair the valve body or the new clutches can burn again.
New direct clutch frictions and steels, piston seals and sealing rings, a new filter, and valve body repair parts if the bores are worn.
Mercon V. A dry unit behind the 4.0L or 4.6L takes about 12.4 to 12.7 quarts; set the level at the T30 Torx check plug, then let the computer relearn.
