How does the 5r55s shifter work?

stv_huff

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Since the 5r55s is electronically controlled then how does the shifter work? I see a cable and five or six wires.
 

07 Boss

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When you are in drive, the tranny controls the operation, that's why they call it an automatic. It has adaptive learning and will adjust to the way you drive through line pressure and shift points. The shifter doesn't have anything to do with it. I mean you move the shifter, it moves the cable, which moves the gear selector lever/arm. It has a neutral safety that will only let you engage the starter in park or neutral and it also has a button to disengage overdrive. Other than that I'm not sure what you are looking for.
 

406guy

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I find that the tourque converter has a higher stall when I'm in 1-3. Those are the racing and squelling tires gears. Drive feels normal, and od off when I'm in town driving below 50.

Ive not experience with Fords, but this tranny feels soild as hell
 

07 Boss

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I find that the tourque converter has a higher stall when I'm in 1-3. Those are the racing and squelling tires gears. Drive feels normal, and od off when I'm in town driving below 50.

Ive not experience with Fords, but this tranny feels soild as hell


Huh, what?

And FYI the 5R55S is a pretty weak flimsy unit rated to 450 hp. I'm not sure what you mean by solid.
 

rocky61201

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Huh, what?

And FYI the 5R55S is a pretty weak flimsy unit rated to 450 hp. I'm not sure what you mean by solid.


235/50 on the street = 650hp
305/40 on the street = 450hp
drag radials at the track = 250hp
 

07 Boss

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235/50 on the street = 650hp
305/40 on the street = 450hp
drag radials at the track = 250hp


Maybe I'm a little slow but I'm not sure what is going on with this conversation, a little confused I am.
 

Wes06

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The stickers the tire. The less power it takes to break it . So skinny tired don't stick and just spin. Slicks stick hard and break shit
 

stv_huff

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I am sorry I wasn't too clear. My goal is to reverse engineer the shifter and make my own so I would like to know the different functions of the shifter itself.
 

07 Boss

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I am sorry I wasn't too clear. My goal is to reverse engineer the shifter and make my own so I would like to know the different functions of the shifter itself.

Make your own shifter? Why?

Well all you really need is to have a cable or arm to move the shift selector arm on the transmission and a button to turn off overdrive, any momentary switch will work for that. You can just bypass the neutral safety I guess. Don't know how hard that would be to incorporate into your design. Oh and there is the lock that prevents you from pulling it out of park unless you have the brake depressed, but you could probably skip that as well along with the neutral safety.

Again, I am so curious as to why you want to build your own shifter. I can understand buying one and fabbing it into the car but why build your own? What are you looking to do exactly?
 

Hawgman

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I am a little mind numbed at this thread. The shifter works just like any other automatic transmission shifter. 07 Boss explained it perfectly. There is no magic or mystery behind it.

As for the trans rating, they aren't all that dependable in their stock trim with any descent power thrown at them. There are aftermarket parts available for them that will increase their power reliability ceiling. And there are companies that can build them to where they will hold more power. Mine was built by Level 10 for high horsepower. I have been throwing right at 800hp at it for 10 years and never had any issue out of it. That being said, depending on the application there are certainly better alternatives out there.
 

ixtlan

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I wish there was a replacement shifter for the 5R55S other than the overpriced TCI.
Why didnt B&M ever design a starshifter for this I dont know.
Good luck on the engineering project.
 

Norm Peterson

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Make your own shifter? Why?


Again, I am so curious as to why you want to build your own shifter. I can understand buying one and fabbing it into the car but why build your own? What are you looking to do exactly?
Providing for direct full manual control over the selection of all five forward gears (not just 1 through 3) is one reason I can think of.

Maybe a laterally-oriented zig-zag pattern that more closely mimicks a 5-speed MT shifter for the forward gears . . .


Whatever he's got in mind, it sounds like it's a little outside conventional AT shifter thinking.


Norm
 
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Wes06

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yeah except im pretty sure there arent enough positions for all 5 gears, isnt it just 1, 2, D, N, R, P?
 

Norm Peterson

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yeah except im pretty sure there arent enough positions for all 5 gears, isnt it just 1, 2, D, N, R, P?
That might be why he's trying to work up his own shifter design, as it'd be one situation where you'd have to think outside Ford's box a bit. My '08 Owner Manual (.pdf because I'm too lazy to go out to the car to get the paper version) clearly shows P R N D 3 2 1 and describes each position individually.


Long time ago I was trying to sketch up ideas for my own AT shifter but never took it any further than a few henscratches on scrap paper for Chrysler's 3-speed Torqueflite. I'm starting to think about it all over again with respect to the new 10R80.


Norm
 

Pentalab

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I had TWO of the TCI ratchet shifters in my 2010 auto... nothing but a pita. Every few weeks it would lock up, and you can't get it out of park. Then had to push down on the hidden recessed nylon tab to get it out of park, then it functioned normally..until it was shifted into park...then locked up again. Also replaced the SJB..twice. Turns out the problem was a spike/ transient / surge coming from the TCI ratchet shifter... towards the SJB.. locking up the SJB. We used a scope to find that issue. Replaced with oem shifter.

When functional, it allowed manual shifting between 1-2-3-D. Of course once into D, it's in normal auto shift mode..so no way to leave it in 4th gear. IE: mash the gas, and it drops down a bunch of gears, when on the hwy.

The paddle shifters on the new cars work great. I tested my buddy's paddle shifter setup on his Fusion 2 years ago. Worked superb. Plus the kicker is... say if in 4th gear..or perhaps 5th gear..... come to a red light, it has enough smarts to auto shift down into 1st gear. Then when light turns green, away you go, in 1st gear, then start paddle shifting your way up through the gears. Can't do that with the TCI shifter. Come up to a red light, and you are still manually stuck in 2nd or 3rd gear. ( only in D will it auto shift into 1st gear, when coming to a stop).

I think the 10R80 has a paddle shifter option. If it's similar to the 6 speed auto in the fusion, it would be a winner. Then you can always stuff it into D, for normal usage..including drag racing. Even then, for street use, starting off in 2nd gear in the 6R80 or 10R80 might be preferable to starting off in 1st gear..and babying the gas pedal, so u don't fry the rear tires.
 

ixtlan

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My favorite has always been the B&M Quicksilver Ratchet shifter.
Pull Pull Pull Push Push Push.
Funny though the pictures on B&Ms site show the shift pattern as P-R-N-D-3-2-1.
Since OD is electric defeat controlled I wonder if the QS could be adapted?
Would depend on the lever positions for each position.
Anyone got info on that?
 

Norm Peterson

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Plus the kicker is... say if in 4th gear..or perhaps 5th gear..... come to a red light, it has enough smarts to auto shift down into 1st gear.
I can see where anybody coming from more of an AT mindset would like that, but I'm not at all sure I'd want it to work that way. A strictly manually commanded way of making the transmission directly drop all the way down to 1st from whatever gear in one shot, sure.


I think the 10R80 has a paddle shifter option.
It does. But it seems more natural to me to have all of the shift control together in one place at the floor shift lever At least two other cars give you both the paddles and a +/- mode at the shift lever (Camaro, Veloster).

Paddles make a whole lot more sense in Formula cars with something like one turn lock to lock steering than they do in street-intended cars with steering that's more than two turns LTL.


Even then, for street use, starting off in 2nd gear in the 6R80 or 10R80 might be preferable to starting off in 1st gear..and babying the gas pedal, so u don't fry the rear tires.
Have to admit, I'm against not having to learn throttle modulation. A lot against. Not having to learn this fosters a mindless "pedals are for stomping on" approach to driving, a "let the computers and the nannies handle the skill stuff because people can't be bothered" mindset. Mediocrity for all. No thanks.


Norm
 

Pentalab

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I can see where anybody coming from more of an AT mindset would like that, but I'm not at all sure I'd want it to work that way. A strictly manually commanded way of making the transmission directly drop all the way down to 1st from whatever gear in one shot, sure.



It does. But it seems more natural to me to have all of the shift control together in one place at the floor shift lever At least two other cars give you both the paddles and a +/- mode at the shift lever (Camaro, Veloster).

Paddles make a whole lot more sense in Formula cars with something like one turn lock to lock steering than they do in street-intended cars with steering that's more than two turns LTL.



Have to admit, I'm against not having to learn throttle modulation. A lot against. Not having to learn this fosters a mindless "pedals are for stomping on" approach to driving, a "let the computers and the nannies handle the skill stuff because people can't be bothered" mindset. Mediocrity for all. No thanks.


Norm

Depends where the paddles are located, on the steering wheel itself, or on the steering column. With paddles, at least you have both hands on the steering wheel at all times, vs your right hand on the floor shifter.

I wish the steering was a bit more 'positive' on the mustang. A slightly smaller diameter steering wheel would be one way to achieve that effect. Something like 80-90% of the oem diameter.

With my small PD blower + LT's + 94 tune, + auto, I have to be careful with the throttle. Get into it too much, and it shifts down a bunch of gears, + boost = stupid amount of TQ. B4 the PD blower was installed, it was a lot easier, and more forgiving. On any manual, at least you are in one gear..which stays put. I have plenty of tq, without quite getting into boost..even in 3rd gear. I learned how to keep it just out of boost..and also just into boost, like 2 psi. IE: 0-2 psi max. Part of that is so it doesn't downshift a bunch of gears. And part of that is how fast you are going in the auto. Right around 45 mph, mash it, and it drops down to 3rd gear..then a split second later... down into 2nd, then you get pinned to the seat. ( Much > 45 mph, and it will only drop into 3rd). 2nd gear in the auto with PD blower and full boost produces the hardest pull. It has to be pointed straight...or you are in for a rude awakening.

It was a steep learning curve, aside from some suspension tweaking. There is only 2-3 folks that I have let drive it...and even they don't ..'get it' after warning them beforehand.
 

Norm Peterson

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↑↑↑ precisely why I'd want such a car to have its transmission under full manual control all the time.

For firmer steering, it might be better if the torsion bar or whatever device Ford is using to sense the need for power assist could be made a little stiffer. Extra stiffness there makes more of the steering force go straight through to the steering wheel. Slowing the PS pump isn't such a good idea because when you need lots of steering fast the pump will be least likely to be able to keep up.


Norm
 

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