98 Ford f150 172984 miles automatic with 4x4 runs and drives transmission is going out will not hit 3rd gear have to drive in 2nd
is there a fix without pulling the transmission?
a solenoid?
Filter?
Did i win the stupid question of the year award ??? 
You might consider having the truck scanned at a reputable independent transmission shop. This could be caused by a faulty shift solenoid, wiring fault, etc or the worst case; a problem with the direct clutch. The latter means a transmission rebuild.
At 172k miles and if the truck has has seen some heavy duty service with few if any transmission fluid changes my gambling money is on the transmission nearing the end of its service life.
Thanks
The good news is, these transmissions are comparatively cheap and easy to repair…