I may be off on the model year... he has 4 Explorers... one year range came with that sealed transmission(automatic) that has no dip stick. They were extremely prone to failure and that year range a used Explorer with an auto is hard to sell around here... junk yards have no transmissions either. Either scrap when they came in or bought up to be rebuilt...
I suppose it could be Ford did a one off thing. They do stupid stuff from time to time. I've worked on a bunch of explorers, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, and 2002 that I can remember for sure. Most of the work I've done has been on 1993 and 1994. 1993 is my preference. That is the year before they went heavy on emissions. No EGR, or any other emissions junk. Even for the early 90's it is surprising how simple they were. 1993 also saw the upgraded head castings.
I do know every one that had an auto transmission, has had a dipstick. I can find no reference to a sealed transmission explorer online, but again, I've seen some one off things on explorers that it very well could be the case. Unless the sealed version was significantly different, there still is no reason 5R55E transmission should not be lasting. I would never take another tranny back to that rebuild shop, they clearly don't know how to fix them. I don't either, I don't work on auto trannys.
10 years ago, before the Obama implosion of the used car market, especially with cash for clunkers, you could find explorers everywhere for cheap. It was a very common, and desirable to swap in a M5OD-R1 manual transmission. Bonus points if you could locate an M5OD-R1 HD. It was fairly straight forward, bolt on a flywheel and clutch, bolt on the tranny with clutch slave cylinder, change the petal assembly, install a clutch master, and connect. As far as I can remember, the length was close enough, you didn't even need to change the driveshaft. The transfer case bolts right on. You might not have even needed to cut a hole for the shifter, they might have had a cover you take off. Don't quote me on that.
Now I'm not so sure that is the case. Junk yards don't have those years, because they were all sold to china for scrap steel. They are that hard to sell for the reason they are getting up there in years, and are not a particularly desirable combo. Us Explorer/Ranger enthusiasts left go after the gold standard M5OD-R1 manual and 4.0 OHV combo. If you prefer an auto, everyone looks for the V8. Nobody wants a V6 with auto tranny, and everyone avoids the 4.0 SOHC like the plague. I've got what I consider the pinnacle of Explorers, a 1993, M50D-R1 manual, 4.0 OHV, and manual shift transfer case. All the first gens had manual locking hubs too. If your friend ever has issues with his auto locking hubs, tell him to swap to the first gen manual locking hubs.
Last edited by megasupermagnum; 05-22-2021 at 03:50 PM.
The 4th Gen Ford Explorers, `06-`10, had the sealed transmissions...
"Luck don't live out here. Wolves don't kill the unlucky deer; they kill the weak ones..." Jeremy Renner in Wind River
This thread makes me smile.Makes me smile even more about my 84 F 150 with the 300 ci inline 6 and the C6 transmission.Finally after appx 450K,a year ago Feb or March,finally had to have some internal work done on the tranny.Changed out the electronic carb and the TFI ignition for the DS2 ingition system,and a non electronic carb when I got the truck about18 or so years ago.
Cost?Free except for my labor.Direct plug and play.Earlier carb was a direct bolt on.Only expense was a carb kit($20.00).
Gooid luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo
Last edited by woodbutcher; 05-23-2021 at 05:18 PM.
People never lie so much as after a hunt,during a war,or before an election.
Otto von Bismarck
Looked it up and asked him, it was a 2003 with a 5r55W trans. The aluminum valve body wears where the OD solenoid seals causing all sorts of problems. The valve body is just aluminum so soft... very very common issue... I just read they now have a kit that lets you drill out that port, add a brass sleeve that seals better and lasts a heck of a lot longer. This affects 2nd gear and over drive. Hard to find in a junkyard... and the junkyard trans will have the same issues most likely!
"Luck don't live out here. Wolves don't kill the unlucky deer; they kill the weak ones..." Jeremy Renner in Wind River
Imagine my surprise when I had a left headlight go out on my 2009 GMC 1/2 ton HD PU and the parts store said we will sell you the headlights, but will not put in the left one......what, why? You have to take the front fender and body insulation blanket off or you have to pull the entire front grill, bumper, etc., to get to the headlight...... I go down to the local mechanics shop, not to worry, we figured out another way to do that job, the bill was $15, what did you do, we built a tool to snake in and pull the bulb and insert the new bulb.
Then the infamous gas fume sensor on top of the gas tank the causes the check engine warning light to come on, does nothing, costs $24 but $458 in labor to change, because you need to pull the bed off the truck to change that ***. A small access plate would just be too much to ask. The truck was a great truck, just some aggravating minor stuff.
The 2018 GMC is a totally different story, ride is awful far any kind of distance, terrible seats, a screwed up suspension and short sidewall tires pressured up to near 40 psi. Took that rascal to the tire company, only thing we can do with those new trucks is pull the entire suspension, replace those narrow sidewall tires and order custom seats. Geez. GM threw common sense out the window and built them to a gas milage standard, nor work or comfort, stupid, stupid, stupid..... But it gets more aggravating every time I drive it.
“There is a remedy for all things, save death.“
Cervantes
“Never give up, never quit.”
Robert Rogers
Roger’s Rangers
There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.
Will Rogers
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |