Dodge cummins 98 01 watch out for weak block in general. 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. Cummins isb 53 block thanks to stamey what is the 53 block. The first step in figuring out how to fix a cracked engine block is identifying where the craci is. If you want to see the latest info, check this out.
A cracked block will almost always cause a cooling system leak and start very slowly. I looked at it and found no cracks but did find the 53 on it. Those owners of a cummins 24v isb engine in a 19982001 model year vehicle. 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. Ive read that about one in nine trucks got the mexi motor, and the majority of 99s had 53s. Fortunately, you have options to replacing the block, such as what is known as locknstitch that literally sews together the two separated pieces. Cast iron blocks are a combination of carbon, silicon, sulfur, steel, limestone, manganese and. How much will engine block repair cost at a garage. The block had suffered serve cracking due to freezing in the water jackets. If there is a 53 there, this is a thinwalled engine block, made in brazil. The 53 block casting has thin water jacket walls that are susceptible to cracking. If you own this particular block series, have a professional mechanic inspect the block for cracks and other casting anomalies.
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. If a crack does appear later after the bracket is installed it can be removed and. Repairing your cracked engine block bluedevil products. This leads us to one of the main symptoms of a cracked block. The dodge ram cummins diesel settlement will resolve a class action lawsuit, titled pardue v. 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. Recent information i have received from a 1998 12v owner says that some late 12v. Tagged 53 block, cummins, cummins engines, dodge ram, failure of a common rail injector, vp44. 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.
The 53 block was also used in medium duty trucks from different manufacturers, mobile homes, public school buses and mass transportation buses. Cracked engine block this is fortunately not as common as the other issues from this list. The 53 comes from a casting number on the side of the block and is used to identify the problem blocks. 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. A class action settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit against cummins. The mexican block is the best one, its not a 50anything.
If it does, the brackets can be easily removed, the new crack stitched and. 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. 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. However, it is a weakness which might affect your cummins diesel engine. 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.
These blocks are known to crack on the exterior water jacket. Automatic transmission owners may have difficulty viewing cracks. So in summary stay away from frequent heavy hauling and heavy performance mods and the 53 block should be ok. If you can find a 2002 cummins, it will bolt right into your 2nd gen. 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. With coolant cavitation, corrosion, coolant pressure in the block, frequent or heavy towing they may crack, causing a loss of coolant. The crack would appear along the passenger side of the oil pan rail and run back to front once they did crack. Theoretically a reman should be fine if you can get them to guarantee it isnt going to be another 53.
There is a chrysler settlement class action style which just came out for those who replaced them alreadyits a small. 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. I hope this will answer all of your questions about the 53 block and the issues surrounding it. However, he uses to haul very heavy loads, any where between 20 and 50,000 pound loads. The first question any potential purchaser should be asking when shopping for a 24valve. Other cummins blocks are known to crack but the 53 style by in large has the most issues because the ratio of iron in the casting was significantly less than what was required by cummins. 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. I did have the truck in the dealer for loss of coolant prior to the block cracking. If you have an internal crack, youll likely have symptoms similar to a blown head gasket. Dodge competition and performance competition diesel. The 53 block was a bad block casting from cummins that are known to crack. Cracks commonly develop on the passenger side of the 53 blocks, right below the freeze plugs. 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. This problem affects mostly engines with the infamous 53 stamp on the engine block. The gauges do not have anything to do with the engine block cracking, and. The beloved 53 cummins blocknotorious for cracking. Its identified by a series of letters and numbers about 14 high where the 12 high 50. Anybody ever had a 53 block with over 700hp that didnt crack. This engine does have 53 stamped on left and right sides. Dodge ram cummins diesel block class action settlement. I believe your engine predates the cummins 53 block issues.
After two cracked 53s i just wasnt taking any chances. Top problem areas to look at on 9802 dodge cummins secret tips for buying used diesel trucks duration. The 53 only seems to crack when the power is taken above 230 horses, and that is why. 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. The article said that the 53 block has a marking, the. There was a link to a great site about how to identify and fix this block if it cracks. Supposedly it affects about 100,000 blocks, but not only in dodge rams. While other cummins blocks have been known to crack, the 53 blocks are by far the most common. It was a early casting of the 24v blocks only that had very thin walls and would crack under stress load. Be aware that some of these engines have what is referred to as a 53 block.
The 2001 dodge ram 2500 has 1 problems reported for cracked engine block. If it does crack, thats an expensive bouquet of oopsydaisies. I put together this faq about the 53 block found in cummins isb engines after my experience with it. Installing three l20 locks to crack repair to add additional strength. I wouldnt go by year to avoid it, inspect the block for that dreaded herbie the love bug number on any 24 valve. Learn how to identify and repair your cracked engine block quickly and permanently. 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. 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. Archive 53 block class action lawsuit 9802 2nd gen. Aside from the aforementioned vp44 and lift pump issues, braziliancast 53 blocks would become infamous for cracking andjust like. The cummins 53 block was used in cummins 24 valve isb diesel engines from 1998. I find that i have one, and my engine is out of the truck i am pondering what to do. The number 53 is cast into the block somewhere behind the drivers. 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.
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