Cracked Block
 

I have a 1999 Dodge cummins 24 vavle 5.88 liter diesel that I suspect has a cracked block. It is leaking antifreeze down the passenger side of the block. Is this a 53 block? and does anyone have any experience with situation?

Very likely a #53...

Info is here - with pics of my #53 - 53 Block FAQ and Information

IMO, the only real fix is the swap the block out.

welcome to diesel bombers and that really sucks for that to be your first thread thats a bummer :argh::argh::argh:

yea bud that blows...but im with dr evil. the only true fix is to swap the block if that is the case. if you look for a fix other problems are sure to follow.:dang:

if its just an external leak you can put a brass cap on it,

Cracked Block
 

The "53" comes from a casting number on the side of the block and is used to identify the problem blocks. Supposedly it affects about 100,000 blocks, but not only in Dodge Rams.
If you want to see if your engine block could be one of these dreaded "53" blocks, crawl under the front, left side, and look up at the block on the front, directly under the injector pump (by the PS pump). You should see a large wiring harness mounted to the block. Directly below this, just above where the oil pan meets the block you will look for a "53" cast in the block. The numbers will be about 1 inch tall. This will tell you if it is. What happens is a crack develops on the right side of the engine, below the freeze plugs, right where the block bends back towards the inside of the block. It is a difficult area to see for auto transmission owners as it is directly behind the transmission heat exchanger. At first everything evaporates so there is no spot under the truck, but you may notice a coolant odor. The leak doesn't occur at idle in most cases because the crack is tight to get through, and doesn't leak until the RPMs of the engine are up, with the water pump causing higher pressure inside the engine block due to the restriction of the thermostat. The crack will grow over time and you will go through coolant faster. I found that I lost coolant at a slower rate if I let the engine warm up for a while, so the thermostat opened and lessened the pressure inside the engine block. There is a repair for this from a company in California I think they are called LOCK-N-STITCH Inc. I hope this helps you out.

The 53 stamp could be on either side. A buddy of mine has one on one side and my truck has it on the other side. So if you don't see it on the left side try looking on the right side of the block.

yup. My 53 is on both sides.

And Lock n Stitch is just a band aid fix here. The best route is to reblock it.

I had Cummins swap blocks on mine a few years ago. They had a program were they would do the swap if you paid the labor and expendables and they paid for parts block included. It cost me $3,000 and them $3,000. I beleive the program is over but it is worth a shot to look into.

Not to thread hijack.... BUT... I have a 53 block with 165k on it... It has had a tuner on it from previous owner and i have on on it now. The prior owner towed a big camper... Like 10K ALLOT! How worried SHOULD i be? I dont wanna jinx myself so i wont mention the state of my block right now but im sure you get my drift!

i had a cracked 53 with 100,000 miles and replaced with another 53 (long story) with 100,000 and no issues. THe turck is stock with no mods and is rarely driven.

Well, my truck has a 53 block, 256k miles and pushing just under 500 hp and 1200 ft lbs on the dyno and i have no crack, ive sled pulled, towed heavy farm equipment over 35k lbs, still no crack. My grandfathers truck is stock, 53 block, towed heavy campers and farm equipment on a very regular basis, no crack, 150k miles on his.

Keep in mind that less then 1 percent of all 53 blocks crack and only those blocks measuring .253 or less in block thickness at the freeze plug opening. Been around these things for years, only seen 1 "53" block crack out of dozens that ive seen.

there has been tons of write ups about this but TDR has the best one out there.

:rocking:

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heres more info, this isnt exactly a new topic

https://www.dieselbombers.com/24-val...-53-block.html

https://www.dieselbombers.com/24-val...formation.html

https://www.dieselbombers.com/24-val...53-blocks.html

We got a call on a motorhome with a cracked 53 block a few months ago. Freightliner wanted like $16k to fix it. They tried telling the customer that there was no way we could get a new block from Cummins and that the only answer was to replace the entire motor! Needless to say, I am pretty sure we will be doing that job here soon. . . .

i got a friend who just rolled 300k with a 53 block.

crappy 53 block definetly reblock is the answer

i had the same problem w/ a 99 and it cracked at 120k. I called cummins and they had me go to a cummins dealer and swapped my block. Like someone said above cummins picked up the parts and i had to pay labor and expendables. hope you get it worked out!