Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Which block do I have?

[Cppr Busa]

On the front of the block down by the oil pan there is a 5 about 1" tall number, and about a inch above that there is about 4-5 more numbers in 1/2" tall text. It has the 5 on both sides of the block. Is there a 5 block?

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Never heard of a "5" block. . . in '98 I'm pretty sure all blocks but the 53 are Mexican (the better blocks). '98 12-valves are built with 24-valve engine blocks.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Two blocks were used in 1998. Some are the same as the earlier block, and others have the STORM block, probably all of which are the infamous 53 block. That is the block casting number that has experienced some cracking near the bottom of the water jacket on the passenger side, under the big cup plugs and above where the block widens side-to-side. STORM stands for straight thread o-ring metric because the threaded holes into oil passages are that type instead of 1/8” national pipe thread (NPT). Cummins offers adapters from STORM to NPT, by the way. The STORM block has a very obvious horizontal stiffener rib with threaded bosses in it on the passenger side about 8-10” above the pan rail. It also has two turbo oil drain back bosses on the passenger side, just above the oil pan rail. On second generation engines, the front one is used and the rear one has a cup plug in it.