Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) 53 Block: Heating or freezing to prevent a crack?

[firefighter_2000]

A friend of mine and I both have the 53 blocks in our trucks. He is more of an old school mechanic. He was wondering if we were to remove our blocks and put them in a bake oven for several hours, slowly bring the temp up and let it slowly come back down would it help. Doing this in cast iron generally relieves stress. Would it be worth a try or has anyone had any experience. Second idea was to do the cryogenic freezing. Take the temp down them slowly bring it back up.



Comments? Ideas?



Craig

 

[FourBarR]

I have a copy of the testing cummins did on the 53 blocks. The reason they crack is that some of them are thin in the rh. side at the rear below the frost plugs. Testing was done by some one else by drilling a hole in tha area and was determined that if the thickness was 1/4 in. or more it likely would not crack. So what you are suggesting would not correct the lack of material in that area. I have a 53 block with 536000 kms (323,000k) Hope this helps.

 

[firefighter_2000]

Heat treating

I read the page found here:



Heat treating iron castings: Part 1. | Goliath Business News



Basically it changes the physical molecular properties of the casting by heating slowly & cooling slowly. Jeff explained that it basically realigns the molecules strenghtening it. Over the years & miles, the stress has built up and heat treating relieves this.



Any idea if Cummins did any experimenting with the heat or cold treating any of the 53 blocks?



Maybe not a good idea at all but was something to think about maybe.



Craig

 

[FourBarR]

I will try to find my copy of the cummins testing of the 53 block. As I recall they ran them in their test cells untill they developed a crack. they then disassembled them and measured the area where the crack developed and found thin area in the ones they tested. They then produced the 56 I believe called the STORM block to correct the problem. The 53 block was cast in Brazil . The Mexical are much tuffer and I have never heard of one cracking.

 

[dclassens]

After going through ALL the work to take it out and disassemble why not get a different block????

 

[firefighter_2000]

Common sense?

Common sense WILL NOT be tolerated around here.



Well that would make sense. Have to find a good block. Would love to find one of the heavy 56 blocks to put in it IF i decided to go that route. Who knows though. I may be able to go a lot farther with this one. I just have an edge ez and the 275 injectors on it. I dont do a lot of towing, so hopefully I'll be good.

Craig

 

[tntframing]

If it not broke dont fix it... ... .

 

[dclassens]

I got a good laugh out of your response. I know exactly what you are saying but if it were me I would drive it until it cracks, and in the mean time do you block hunt and have it cleaned and painted on a stand so you pull of piece by piece and put the parts from old cracked into new painted engine.