Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Cracked Engine Block

[dresslered]

Seeing it once was bad enough.

I guess I stopped looking after spotting the first one as well. At first there was some dirt on it and I thought that it was a "59" (WOW!) but it sooned crumbled revealing the infamous "53". Mine came straight out of St. Louis.

 

[A. Brown]

Since I've got a Mexican truck I was hoping the 53 virus didn't make it that far south. No such luck.

 

[dresslered]

Not to worry guys! It is a very rare occurance in the Ram application. Now for the lift pump..... I just toss and turn all night!:{

 

[45A1]

does that mean that bombing a '53' engine could make it more likely to develop a crack?

 

[Vaman]

I'm a little concerned because I would think that running around 500 HP would be MORE likely to crack a block than routine use in a school bus... and lift pumps are only $150 and can be swapped in an hour.



By the way, I haven't heard a thing back from Cummins yet regarding this issue...

 

[A. Brown]

my guess is that this is a very isolated occurance, and probably every engine make out there has an occasional block failure. How many 53s were put into dodge applications?

 

[Jetson]

Off to buy some DCA

I'm going to add some diesel coolant additive and forget about it, hopefully. If it helps the cavitation problem, it couldn't hurt.

 

[45A1]

DCA? anyone care to elaborate? is some kind of cavitation in the coolant responsible for the cracks? i thought it was just due to thin castings.

 

[Jim S]

53 here also... like to hear more thoughts on dca also. Don't think it would hurt.

Jim.

 

[Jetson]

From a previous post by Chad Sheets,

"Cavitation is more commom with liners, BUT you can have cavitation anyplace the water makes contact inside the engine.



Keep good anti-freeze in your rig and you will be fine.



Use distilled water or treated water because tap water varies throughout regions, and some contain more chlorides, sulfates and acids than others do (makes you thirsty, doesn't it).



Care must be taken so that corrosion doesn't take place... and even if you don't see it, it can still be there. The corrosion can cause scale to form, which will eventually build up and cause "hotspots" to form which can crack heads, burn valves and all kinds of other good things.



There are spin-on type filters containing borate chemicals. With this you get the water filtered and treated at the same time.



NALCOOL 2000 is a widely used treatment. It protects against rust, galvanic corrosion and foaming. The anti foam inhibitor is a must due to what we listed above. Engine vibration causes foam and bubbles, which leads to cavitation. Cavitation is nothing more than the bubbles in the water coming in contact with the metal in the engine and water pump and blowing up (imploding)causing pitting, which in time can eat a water pump up... . cavitation can be anyplace.



Cummins has a dry type chemical additive (DCA) for our engines. They will also sell you a kit to read the coolant like a chemist and decide how much more DCA to add.



Ethylene glycol based antifreeze has a boiling point of 223 deg, which is 11 deg higher than water. This means you don't have to worry much about ethylene glycol based antifreeze evaporating away. Ethylene glycol is good to go for any engine. It can be "beat" by the dry type additives that can be analyzed down to perfection.



The important thing to remember is, no matter what you use, you need to replace it every year or so. It will loose its anti rust/foaming and lubricating properties. It will still keep the water from freezing, but it wont treat the water any more. "

 

[Pit Bull]

I don't have a number on mine it is a 2K model that was made in St. Louis in November of 1999. I know the blocks were made at different locations.

 

[tmacc]

dresslered,

Yup! My block has it on both sides too. Oh, well.

Waiting on the next BOMB.

Tom

 

[Bandit1]

i have a #53 block as well, i emailed cummins a while back and let them know about what i had heard about the 353 block and they said that they were looking into the problem and would let everyone know when a solution is found, so they are just beating around the bush probably, o well bring on the bombs.

 

[Vaman]

I've sent 2 separate inquiries to Cummins about this and I haven't even received an acknowledgement. I sure hope they're not dodging (no pun intended) this issue...

 

[B9Mile]

In this thread, the crack appears to be caused by cavitation of the thin-walled area.



http://216.235.147.117/forums/showthread.php?threadid=38197



Here is an excerpt from the post:

Finally started it up and crawled under it again with a bright light. Boy is that thing loud idleing. There on the right side of the block just below the transmission coolant tank were about 6 little pin holes seeping collant. I could not believe my eyes.





The existance of the pin holes indicates to me the damage in this area on this block was caused by cavitation. The 6MM wall thickness (about 0. 23") in this area probably vibrates sufficiently to promote cavitation.



Maybe for those of us with the #53 blocks, a serious coolant change regimen should be practiced. Even though the common thinking is that cavitation on a 5. 9 is not a problem, this block indicates otherwise.



The selection of a coolant with Supplemental Coolant Additives for cavitation reduction is a good idea.

 

[w-cummins]

Originally posted by B9Mile

In this thread, the crack appears to be caused by cavitation of the thin-walled area.





The existance of the pin holes indicates to me the damage in this area on this block was caused by cavitation. The 6MM wall thickness (about 0. 23") in this area probably vibrates sufficiently to promote cavitation.

I don't know. I seem to remember that others have reported large/long crack/s in the block on that side. Also the leak is on the wrong side of the water jacket for it to be caused by cavitation... if it was a cavitation problem we would see many more examples of it not just in school buses. I wonder if the block is flexing on the buses from using an a different type/location of the motor mounts in that application.

 

[Vaman]

Well, I got a reply from Cummins and, in my opinion, it's crap. It sounds like they're trying to downplay this issue. I like the parts about not worrying about "every possible failure" and worrying about "any engine or piece of equipment". Anyhow, you be the judge...







Summary: ram isb cracked block 53?



Solution:

Thanks for your email on cracked blocks. Do you have reason to believe that you currently have a cracked block? You cannot worry about every possible failure that might happen; you could worry about any engine or piece of equipment if you wanted to. The main thing that you CAN DO is to follow the recommendations in the Operation & Maintenance manual and use quality filters and fluids, and operate the engine in accordance with our recommendations.



Daimler-Chrysler warrants Dodge Ram engines that we sell to them for application in their pickup trucks. There is no field action or recall on this "cracked block issue" and they will not provide warranty coverage on parts that have not failed. That is about all we can say on the subject. Following is a FAQ on Dodge warranting Cummins engines.



Cummins designs and supplies the Cummins 6B5. 9 and ISB 24-Valve turbo diesel engines to DaimlerChrysler, however, DaimlerChrysler warrants the diesel engine and truck completely, as a package unit. Cummins, Inc. and authorized Service Providers cannot provide warranty coverage on Dodge Ram trucks powered with Cummins diesel engines, since all warranties are handled by the Dodge dealers.



For assistance with Dodge Ram truck issues, Dodge requires a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for vehicle identification (i. e. , model, year, build plant, etc. ). Always have your VIN number available when requesting assistance with your Dodge vehicle.



When bringing a Dodge truck to a Dodge dealer for warranty service, you may also wish to verify that the service department is availing themselves of the diesel technician troubleshooting assistance that is available to Dodge dealers by way of their S. T. A. R. Hotline. Dodge dealers may call the DaimlerChrysler Hotline for technical assistance.



Customers should call Dodge Customer Service Hotline (800-992-1997) for assistance.



Thank you for your interest in Cummins power or products. Please let us know if you ever need assistance in locating the nearest Cummins-authorized distributor or dealer. Please feel free to use our North American Dealer Locator (http://www.cummins.com/service_locator/index.cfm) found on the "service locator" link at the North America Cummins website (http://www.cummins.com/na/pages/en/index.cfm).



For service locations and Cummins Regional Offices outside North America, you can select the region of the world in which you have an interest at "http://www.cummins.com/index. cfm?changecountry=true", then click the "view distributor network" button.



Let us know if you have other questions, or if away from your computer (or you have a time-critical request that needs more urgent attention), feel free to call us (toll-free, from North America) at 1-800-DIESELS (343-7357), or 1-812-377-5000 (toll call, worldwide, ask for 800-DIESELS).



Regards,

--

Powermaster

Customer Assistance Center

Cummins, Inc.

Columbus, Indiana, USA

E-mail-via-webpage (preferred): "http://www.cummins.com/na/pages/en/customerassistance/index. cfm"

E-mail-direct: "powermaster@cummins.com"











Details:

I'm hearing about a block cracking issue on the 5. 9 with the "53" blocks. I

have a "53" block in my Dodge truck and I'd like to get some information

regarding this issue if I could. Thank you.

 

[A. Brown]

these guys would make great politicians, they can talk for a whole page and not even come close to answering our question. I expect this kind of stuff from the stealer, guess cummins is no different. Bow to the almighty dollar!

 

[B9Mile]

w-cummins,



I agree with your statement about others reporting actual cracks in the side of the block. I think this occurance with the porous holes is an isolated incident for the "cracked block" failures.



I would think this particular block had a porous casting in this area. Sutff happens. When I see perforated holes, I think of cavitation, or porosity.



The Cummins response is interesting. It goes along the same lines as the Killer Dowel Pin response other members have recieved from them. It would be interesting to see how many failures there have been, and the applications the engines were used in.



As a member of the "53 Club", I'm not going to lose too much sleep over the cracking issue. If the block cracks, it cracks. Then in my case the best course of action will be a short block rebuild.



With the '03 Rams, comes the elimination of the front axle disconnect on 4x4 models. I think this will cause enough extra drag in the front driveline to further reduce fuel economy. The truck will be heavier too. This will make the front axle stronger.



One of the reasons for purchasing the Cummins powered Ram was the fuel economy. My last trip back from Flathead Lake in Montana yielded 22. 3 mpg. Since there wasn't any wind that day, I kept the speed under 65, just to see how the mpg figures would turn out.



If I could get 22+ mpg out of one of the '03 Rams, then I would probably buy one of them, instead of a short block rebuild if I were to have a crack.



I guess we'll just wait and see how things progress.

 

[Rob Thomas]

I don't seem to be able to find a casting # either, it's a '01. 5 St. Louis truck.



Later, Rob