Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Another 53 block cracked

[Smills]

Yesterday truck got hot put 2 gallons of water in her.

I looked underneath the truck and it was wet all over. There is a 3 inch crack write where everybody said it would be this sucks. I was hoping I would get lucky and the block wouldn't crack but that's how my luck is lately.



Has anybody patched these with epoxy and has it lasted very long? :{

 

[macdaddy]

Hey Mil

Man I'm sorry to here about you motor thats sucks. Like you I was going to gamble with my 99, but if you can believe it my wife wasn't so we traded it in for the 05. I would start with Cummins at 1-800-343 7357 thats a place to start you may not like what you here but never the less it's a place to start.

Mac

 

[rholcom2]

Get some Moroso stop leak, pour in it, and go find a new one you like. Just my advice.

 

[DavidC]

I tried the JB Weld on mine. Lasted 10 days at 20 miles per day. To much expansion/contraction and vibration. I sympathise with you because you will hear absolutely nothing you like.



Dave

 

[DavidC]

Yesterday truck got hot put 2 gallons of water in her.

I looked underneath the truck and it was wet all over. There is a 3 inch crack write where everybody said it would be this sucks. I was hoping I would get lucky and the block wouldn't crack but that's how my luck is lately.



Has anybody patched these with epoxy and has it lasted very long? :{

Welcome to the cracked 53 club. If you like misery with this problem you have the right product from Chrysler. Be sure to register the defective equipment and maybe some day something will happen. I am not holding my breath though. You are about to start the most frustrating process there is when dealing with Chrysler or Cummins. Cummins will help some although technically it is a Chrysler engine.



Register here

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/



Every complaint counts



Dave

 

[moparguy]

You know, I'm not sure why Cummins is picking up anything on the faulty 53 block castings. Chrysler bought these engines from Cummins with no warrenty. Cummins dealers can do warrenty work if the local Dodge dealer approves, then bill Chrysler. Wonder if that's how it's working? Kind of a back door deal.



I suspect that in the end our only recourse will be through Chrysler, they in turn will go after Cummins. But in all likelyhood it'll be after the dust settles around the lawsuit.



IMHO

 

[tractorface]

Heads up

Think I saw a rebuilt 24v in the TDR classifieds for 4500$. Look fast sounded like a good deal to me.

 

[DavidC]

You know, I'm not sure why Cummins is picking up anything on the faulty 53 block castings. Chrysler bought these engines from Cummins with no warrenty. Cummins dealers can do warrenty work if the local Dodge dealer approves, then bill Chrysler. Wonder if that's how it's working? Kind of a back door deal.



I suspect that in the end our only recourse will be through Chrysler, they in turn will go after Cummins. But in all likelyhood it'll be after the dust settles around the lawsuit.



IMHO

Because it says Cummins. The people I had dealt with at Cummins corporate all in all were good to deal with. The local Cummins dealer was another story. They have a name to protect and use to at least work with people half way.

To my understanding this is no longer the case. Although the way that Chrysler bought these engines with out a warranty to save money Cummins does not have to do anything at all. It is very hard to be grateful for the small amount Cummins is helping these days but it does add to the anger with Chrysler. Then you have to look at the Cummins side as they produced the block in the first place. It becomes a very bad problem with all concerned but as usual winds up being the problem of the person least able to pay for it.



Dave

 

[SHobbs]

I have written letters, sent emails and made phone calls about the 53 blocks. No answer yet but I am hopefull. Everyone that has a 53 needs to start raising all kinds of cane and especially those that have experienced cracks. How many people own a 53 and how many are hopping mad. We all need to stand together and push for some kind of help on this.

 

[DTangstrom]

Where do I look to see if mine is the 53 block. Is it cast somewhere or within the serial number.

 

[DavidC]

Where do I look to see if mine is the 53 block. Is it cast somewhere or within the serial number.

Lots of heavy reading



http://turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116737



Dave

 

[Smills]

Well I just bought a 98 block off of ebay last night for 305$ and 300 shipping kinda sucks but it's better than paying half of an install when I can install it myself. The seller said there is no 53 on it. Has anybody tried to just get the short block or block from cummins with no install? What also sucks is I am only at 114000 and I had the 100000 mile warranty.

 

[keimmmo]

I worked for an auto parts store with a machine shop years ago. I watched the old machinest working there pin a number of cracked heads... and every one of them held just fine. He drilled and tapped a hole in the crack, screwed in a brass bolt with #1 Permatex on it to seal the threads, cut it off flush with a sharp chisel, and drilled the next hole to just overlap into the last bolt. By overlaping the bolts, there is no way they can unscrew! You would have to remove enough parts to do the work, but if I had a cracked block, I would sure try it! Good luck!



Steve

 

[DKarvwnaris]

I worked for an auto parts store with a machine shop years ago. I watched the old machinest working there pin a number of cracked heads... and every one of them held just fine. He drilled and tapped a hole in the crack, screwed in a brass bolt with #1 Permatex on it to seal the threads, cut it off flush with a sharp chisel, and drilled the next hole to just overlap into the last bolt. By overlaping the bolts, there is no way they can unscrew! You would have to remove enough parts to do the work, but if I had a cracked block, I would sure try it! Good luck!



Steve

I have seen this done before as well. It works better than most high tech ideas and filler materials we've supposedly evolved to instead of good ol' time enginuity.

Given the choice, I would look for a medium duty truck with a 5. 9 in it that is wrecked and swap the accesories over. You could probably get just as much for the p-7100 pump as you pay for the entire truck if you find one wrecked bad enough. Personally, I would brass fill the crack and send it down the road by trading it in at dodge dealer. The 5 star dealers warranty most of the their used trucks for defects. It all a matter of who gets the last laugh when it comes to dealing with DiaperBenz. I personally will not own a 24 valve dodge, but that's also due to the refusal of mine to die in over 240,000 of hard towing and equally hard interstate driving empty at high speeds.

Your best solution if you want to keep your truck would be to look for a recon engine from Cummins. You will at least have warranty with them if it happens again to replace the crap block you're now stuck dealing with yourself. If you are leary of the cracking happening again, I'd retro fit a 12 valve with P-7100 pump under your hood. Just depends on what your emissions are locally and how much you love your truck. I would have it out of my driveway and onto a dealer lot within a week, or look for a nice steep hill with a cliff or rock wall at its base. Parking brake failure is a real bummer you know.

 

[tractorface]

The JB weld fix?

DavidC



Can you give us a little more detail on your JB weld fix attempt?

Did you drill the ends of the crack? Did you clean and "groove" the crack?

How careful were you with the mixture? Were the ambient temps optimal for the JB weld?



I am asking because I really think this fix will work, there are far better products available commercially than JB Weld. We have a couple cans of some stuff that cost $500 beans but works like no tomorrow. I am going to find the maitenance man and see if I can get a name off the cans. Anyway, I always thought drilling and tapping the ends and adding studs would work. You could make a sandwich of the cold weld compound and a stout piece of metal and use the studs to "bind" it solidly to the block.



I have also heard the pinning method will work.

 

[keimmmo]

How about using a combination of the "Stone Age" technology and the modern? JB weld the brass bolts into place instead of using #1 Permatex, clean off the surface and smear a little more over the top. I agree that it is good stuff, but I would trust the bolts or pins farther than plain JB weld!



In my opinion, the brass bolt method will probably be a permanent fix. It sure would be cheaper than a block or different motor!



Steve

 

[brianMo]

Where do we start for getting help on this issue? There are 2 unfortunate souls today already. If you visit other Dodge Diesel forums the topic is always there. This is BS guys! I am more then Hopping mad! Don't worry if you have a 53? I think there is major data to show a concern. Roll with punches, ride the storm out, just life... I do not agree! I think the data speaks for itself. I am going to have mine metal stitch, and going to think quite seriously about trading it. I am so sorry I feel this way, but I really do not need this in my life! A person has better things to worry about then a leaky block in a PU truck. It has definitely colored my start of 2005. Now what?



Brian

Missouri

 

[tractorface]

I am thinking a few of these parked across the street from your local Dodge dealer would get some attention. Maybe would could organize a smokey ride into Washington DC. A couple thousand Smokin 99's would get some results. :-laf I am game for just about anything. I to do not believe the "small" numbers BS.

 

[DavidC]

DavidC



Can you give us a little more detail on your JB weld fix attempt?

Did you drill the ends of the crack? Did you clean and "groove" the crack?

How careful were you with the mixture? Were the ambient temps optimal for the JB weld?



I am asking because I really think this fix will work, there are far better products available commercially than JB Weld. We have a couple cans of some stuff that cost $500 beans but works like no tomorrow. I am going to find the maitenance man and see if I can get a name off the cans. Anyway, I always thought drilling and tapping the ends and adding studs would work. You could make a sandwich of the cold weld compound and a stout piece of metal and use the studs to "bind" it solidly to the block.



I have also heard the pinning method will work.

I ground the block and removed all paint etc. Did not do anthing else block wise. This all happened in October in Tempe (just outside of Phoenix) so the temperatures were at least in the 80's. The JB Weld was bought just for this project so it was new from the store. Being the area of the crack I had to apply with a finger as there was not enough room to use any type of spreader. By the time I got done it overlapped the crack by 2" on all sides and I let it set up for 24hrs. The thickness was probably in the 1/8 range. The replacement block was 2 days out when it started leaking again so I just rode it out with anti-freeze. For anyone interested I have also read that this block can also crack on the drivers side same location. In my opinion if a cast iron solid piece of block will crack, Putty is a temporary fix. That is why I also do not think any repair will hold up. This is just my opinion.



Dave

 

[tractorface]

Yeah you may be right