Where does the cummins 53 block crack

I put together this faq about the 53 block found in cummins isb engines after my experience with it. Fortunately, you have options to replacing the block, such as what is known as locknstitch that literally sews together the two separated pieces. Those owners of a cummins 24v isb engine in a 19982001 model year vehicle. I and many other owners of 1998 thru 2001 dodge cummins diesel vehicles have or will experience a known defect of the designated 53 block in these vehicles. The beloved 53 cummins blocknotorious for cracking. So in summary stay away from frequent heavy hauling and heavy performance mods and the 53 block should be ok. The issue is that some of the walls are too thin and can crack under stress. Learn how to identify and repair your cracked engine block quickly and permanently. The 53 block casting has thin water jacket walls that are susceptible to cracking. Cracks commonly develop on the passenger side of the 53 blocks, right below the freeze plugs. The cost of repairing a cracked engine block can vary considerably depending on the garage you visit, the severity of the crack and the car you drive. I hope this will answer all of your questions about the 53 block and the issues surrounding it. My uncle bought his cummins brand new in 01 and still owns it, but the original motor was a 53 block and it cracked without any performance upgrades.

Welding a 53 block i have had a lot of emails and questions about the process i use to fix the dreaded cracked 53 blocks, so i will post it for everyones reference. The mexican block is the best one, its not a 50anything. Repairing your cracked engine block bluedevil products. Automatic transmission owners may have difficulty viewing cracks. Its identified by a series of letters and numbers about 14 high where the 12 high 50. Some believed the problem to be found only in high horse power versions or those with standard transmissions or those that were used to pull heavy loads. If you own this particular block series, have a professional mechanic inspect the block for cracks and other casting anomalies. I wouldnt go by year to avoid it, inspect the block for that dreaded herbie the love bug number on any 24 valve.

The 53 only seems to crack when the power is taken above 230 horses, and that is why. It was a early casting of the 24v blocks only that had very thin walls and would crack under stress load. A buddy of mine just bought a 99 cummins and when i found out, i told him about the 53 block issuesi welded 3 unsuccessfully in 2001, cummins replaced the blocks. Top problem areas to look at on 9802 dodge cummins secret tips for buying used diesel trucks duration.

The kdp is a design flaw based on most if not all engines made by cummins from 93to mid 03. I believe your engine predates the cummins 53 block issues. I dont know what year it is but be careful of one manufactured from 1998 to 2002 as some of them had bad block that crack. This problem affects mostly engines with the infamous 53 stamp on the engine block. To do the fix, the engine has to be in the truck and able to run and have coolant added after the work and the block heater plugged in, to get the heat stress distributed. If there is a 53 there, this is a thinwalled engine block, made in brazil. After two cracked 53s i just wasnt taking any chances. The dodge ram cummins diesel settlement will resolve a class action lawsuit, titled pardue v. I have a question on the dreaded 53 block i recently purchased my dodge truck a few months ago and i read a thread about the 53 block on this forum.

The gauges do not have anything to do with the engine block cracking, and. The crack would appear along the passenger side of the oil pan rail and run back to front once they did crack. If you have an internal crack, youll likely have symptoms similar to a blown head gasket. If it does crack, thats an expensive bouquet of oopsydaisies.

Brazilian blocks are cast by a company named tupy and are marked such. The first question any potential purchaser should be asking when shopping for a 24valve. The 53 comes from a casting number on the side of the block and is used to identify the problem blocks. If it does, the brackets can be easily removed, the new crack stitched and. The block had suffered serve cracking due to freezing in the water jackets. You aught to be able to turn in a cracked block to dodge and get reimbersed. Operating a truck with a slightly cracked 53 block is by no means a death sentence, but it does warrant keeping a close eye on the water temp. If you want to see the latest info, check this out. This number is cast onto the side of the block just above the oil pan rail on the rear drivers side or front passenger side. However, it is a weakness which might affect your cummins diesel engine. I did have the truck in the dealer for loss of coolant prior to the block cracking. Ive read that about one in nine trucks got the mexi motor, and the majority of 99s had 53s.

The 53 block was a bad block casting from cummins that are known to crack. Since there was a supply shortage back then, the 53 models can easily crack which will make the coolant leak when an individual exposes the motor to hauling, extremely high temperatures, higher pressure, and more rotation levels. Aside from the aforementioned vp44 and lift pump issues, braziliancast 53 blocks would become infamous for cracking andjust like. The 53 block was also used in medium duty trucks from different manufacturers, mobile homes, public school buses and mass transportation buses. With coolant cavitation, corrosion, coolant pressure in the block, frequent or heavy towing they may crack, causing a loss of coolant. Recent information i have received from a 1998 12v owner says that some late 12v. These blocks are known to crack on the exterior water jacket. How much will engine block repair cost at a garage. This leads us to one of the main symptoms of a cracked block. Cummins isb 53 block thanks to stamey what is the 53 block.

The cummins 53 block was used in cummins 24 valve isb diesel engines from 1998. I will be purchasing a dodge cumins diesel truck between the years of 20002002 i just found out that they all come with the 53 block. To identify a 53 block, look for the casting numbers on the front. Cummins 4bt and 6bt problems big bear engine company. Trucks with this block, used for heavy towing may crack horizontally down the passenger side of the engine, below the head, above the freeze plugs. Cast iron blocks are a combination of carbon, silicon, sulfur, steel, limestone, manganese and. There is a chrysler settlement class action style which just came out for those who replaced them alreadyits a small. I looked at it and found no cracks but did find the 53 on it.

A class action settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit against cummins. This engine does have 53 stamped on left and right sides. Theoretically a reman should be fine if you can get them to guarantee it isnt going to be another 53. Losing coolant from passenger side of the block slowly and had to add coolant due to loss,is there a temporary fix to stop the coolant from leaking for the mean time. The article said that the 53 block has a marking, the. Tagged 53 block, cummins, cummins engines, dodge ram, failure of a common rail injector, vp44. The 2001 dodge ram 2500 has 1 problems reported for cracked engine block. If a crack does appear later after the bracket is installed it can be removed and. The cummins block cracks from two factors, one is harmonic vibration of the castin cylinder walls as they work against the block skirt, and the other is cavitation from the coolant allowing bubbles to form as it vibrates, which slowly eats through the block. Be aware that some of these engines have what is referred to as a 53 block. Dodge competition and performance competition diesel. In 2008, cummins was a named defendant in a class action suit related to 19982001 model year chrysler dodge ram trucks, model 2500 or 3500, originally equipped with a cummins isb 5. Archive 53 block class action lawsuit 9802 2nd gen. There was a link to a great site about how to identify and fix this block if it cracks.

I find that i have one, and my engine is out of the truck i am pondering what to do. The first step in figuring out how to fix a cracked engine block is identifying where the craci is. While other cummins blocks have been known to crack, the 53 blocks are by far the most common. A cracked block will almost always cause a cooling system leak and start very slowly. If you can find a 2002 cummins, it will bolt right into your 2nd gen. Installing three l20 locks to crack repair to add additional strength. Havent heard much about the 53 block recently other than dont get one. Anybody ever had a 53 block with over 700hp that didnt crack. Dodge ram cummins diesel block class action settlement. Sometimes it will be so slow that you will only be able to notice the leak when your car is warm and it will just look like a small amount of steam. Supposedly it affects about 100,000 blocks, but not only in dodge rams. Cracked engine block this is fortunately not as common as the other issues from this list.