Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) What to do with the 53 block?

[Junior]

Ok, I unfortunately looked underneath and have a 53.

So my question is what to do?

I have 111,000 on the motor, should i worry about it or would i be worrying for nothing?

Should i trade it in before something my happen, either 10 g's for new engine or truck?



Would i have problems with this if goal is to get 400 horses out of it?



What should i do?



Drove the new trucks and wasn't overly impressed. Best thing i thought was the steering was sweet. Noticed more turbo lag than my truck, and didn't have the oomph my tuck does in accelerating. Mine is still stock also.



What to do? Any comments are more than welcomed.

 

[McCRam]

I'll tell you the same thing I told my uncle when his mechanic tried to get him to sell his truck. A very small percentage of the 53 blocks actually crack. (at least from what ive read on the tdr) And any other truck you get is bound to have its own set of problems as well. There are quite a few members on here that have a lot more miles on their truck, and have yet to get a crack.

 

[Forrest Nearing]

some of the highest powered trucks in the diesel world have 53 blocks... I wouldn't worry about it... if it cracks, it can be repaired...



Forrest

 

[rmrc]

Junior,



I have about the same mileage as you and also have the infamous 53 block. Granted,,,, if I knew about the 53 when I was looking for a truck I would've passed on the one I have. ( See sig ).



I had the same reservations as you do regarding whether to trade her in before some thing happens to the block. In my case I just can't afford to have another truck payment at present so I'll just have to take the risk and not try to dwell on it. It's true that only a small percentage of these blocks crack. That's still doesn't give much reassurance for peace of mind but such is life!!!!!



I'm going to keep my baby and hope for the best. So far she's given me excellent service with normal maintenance repairs. I don't plan on any HP mods and rarely tow so hopefully,,,,, I won't have any 53 surprises in the future. Next mod will be a FASS so I won't have to worry about those crappy lift pumps and an easier filter changes without being concerned about hard starting afterwards.

 

[JJ Jackson]

If you're in doubt whether or not your "53" can perform at the level it was intended to be used for than I would say trade it in. This is coming from a man who went through the 53 ordeal. I wont speculate on what the percentage of cracks to 53 owners is, but I have seen this topic on RV sites and other diesel forums. When I took my truck into Cummins there was a motorhome and a Freightliner Ambulance there, both with cracked blocks. This I found out from the receptionist, after talking with a mechanic that said that he didn't know anything about the problem of block cracking. I didnt know about the TDR when mine cracked in 03 , as with a lot of other people. You are at the right mileage now and if you tow heavy and in steep mountain areas there's a good chance you will get a crack, especially if you bomb it. There is no sense in crossing that bridge when you come to it, just trade it in now if it is finacially feasible.

 

[brianMo]

We only know about the cracked blocks for the people the frequent the internet. How many are out there that we don't know about. I believe this is more common then you think! My 53 in my 99 is getting stitched up as I write this. 4 inch crack. It will probably make me a bit skiddish for a while. I cannot afford to trade it or put new block in. I bought this truck for its reliability because of reputation. I will see how it stands up. I will keep you all informed!



Brian

 

[Ross]

I've got a 53, and have my fingers crossed. The truck has absolutely been the best vehicle I've ever owned, and runs like nothing I've ever had. I tow heavy (23,000 trailer) all the time, plus I've been to the strip before. I DO NOT take it easy on this truck. It gets hammered.



Because I pull hard and heavy in the hot desert of New Mexico and West Texas, I expect that my block has seen temperature extremes often. My fan clutch runs quite a bit to keep things cool, and my EGTs stay around 1100 when running 75 mph with the big trailer, so I think it's safe to say I work my truck probably as hard as anyone out there. She's got 167,000 miles so far and still going strong. I'm nervous about the 53 block cracking, but the truck is just too good to get rid of.



I've placed my bet, and I'm takin' my chances.

 

[Alphacowboy]

I say keep it. not all 53 blocks are bad. if it does crack, I would recommend looking into the "welding" fix vrs a block swap. Dont know if you could still get the 1k out of Cummins if it does crack, but if you could, having the block stich welded back together, why not? Would end up costing you nothing (heard of quotes around 1k for welding the crack with the engine still in the truck. )



It does suck that Cummins cant issue a serial number data base as to what 53 blocks are subject to the cracking... . but that would be them actually owning up to the problem.



I say run it until it dies. Hell, has anyone just for the hell of it tried cleaning the area of the crack real well and just throwing some high heat JB-weld on it? it only leaks to the outer part of the engine right? so baisly you are just trying to keep the coolent in the block, why wouldnt this work, I have seen people use JB weld on a block before and it worked amazingly well. I guess I would try just about anything if it cracked, what are you out if it doesnt work? not alot really.

 

[Forrest Nearing]

I've used JB weld on intake ports on iron heads before... no problems.



you'd probably want to drill the ends of the crack to keep it from running, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear that JB weld got you back on the road...



Forrest

 

[CMBOld]

Just saw the infamous #53 on my 99 a while ago 'bout a month or so after a 6000$ ATS job. I kinda' knew it would be a 53 'cause of the TDR poll on the subject. What bothers me is when this information gets out, what will it do to the value of these trucks? I can hear the dealer now, "well we could do a lot better on a trade but these "fiftythrees" are hard to move! Mike

 

[Forrest Nearing]

I wouldn't worry... car salesmen know nothing about cars... and neither do most people who buy them... out of every hundred CTD owners, maybe one has heard of the 53... MAYBE

 

[CMBOld]

Right you are, just today took a ride to a nearby Dodge dealer. When I asked about the new mega cab ram they looked at me like my hair was on fire. Manager follwed me outside and informed me it's only a concept so it'll be a while before we see 'em. He said "you prolly mean the powerwagon" , never got word they were gonna build the mega cab. Safe to say the #53 issue will take a while before it hurts us. Mike

 

[VicR]

Just because you have a 53 block doesn't automatically mean its going to crack. Just like having a lotto ticket doesn't automatically mean your going to win...



It does suck that Cummins/ DC won't be forthcoming on what s/n engines are at risk though. Would be nice to know what the odds really are.



-Vic

 

[Holzarbeiter]

I have dealt with the cracked 53 for numerous months now. Since I have a new long block waiting, I have attempted a number of quick fixes with mixed results. None of the attempts stopped the leaks completly.



1- Using a Stop leak product; I used Irontite, they have 2 sealers and neither one stopped the leak completly, it did slow down on the water consumption for a couple of days, about 150 miles.



2- External Epoxy repairs; I used Belzona, this stuff is expensive and supposedly used in heavy commercial applications. I drilled both ends of the crack as well as every 3-4" as my crack by now is about 12" long. I V-grooved the crack and roughed up the surrounding area. Cleaned and degreased used a reinforcing tape with the epoxy. This has so far been the best temp repair. The leak has been reduced to a very slow drip.





I want to make all you 53 owners aware that the failure rate might be low in the light duty applications but from what i have read, there have been many reported cracks in the medium duty applications.

The crack on my 53 went from a very small (1-2") to almost 12". It starts at the center of the first freeze plug and ends at the center of the third. I think that any repair is only temporary short of removing the block and doing a proper weld or stitch repair the length of the freeze plugs since that seems to be the weak spot. The cost of such a repair must be close to the cost of replacing the block. I would like to state that I'm not a welder and that I'm only sharing my personal experience. I have spent over 350$ on materials and shipping and will try whatever else seems feasible before I replace with a new block. I want to find a repair that can be performed with the engine in place, the problem is that the area is not very accessible and even with the heat exchanger removed it is a challenge to say the least.

 

[diesel DOG]

I tried to look underneath. I see a 10 or 1c and 12 and then something higher starting with 2? There is a electric harness / line in the way. Any idea what I have? Thanks! :--)