Hi all, as an owner of a 2001 truck with the dreaded block 53, I am left wondering just how many are out there that have not cracked.
Could any owners of block 53's that have not had probs(or have) pls put up your hands?

I just want to quantify the number of block 53's that are out there and how many run for many kms(miles) with no cracking.

This might help reassure those of us who ended up with them.

You would think Cummins or Dodge could supply this info, but i doubt they want to even go there..

Thanks all

 

There probably are more 53's out there that did not crack, but with what I have been through, I would not touch one with a 10 foot pole. I locknstitched, and it bought me about 3 years. It finally cracked again but not where it was originally stitched. I was going through a 1/2 gallon a day of antifreeze. I finally through in the towel and got a remanufactured engine. I had about 130k when it gave in again. I feel so relieved that I rid of that problem. I would not worry about it, if it happens, it happens. Just deal with it.

 

Mine has 400k km on it, currently at 520hp and going for more in a week or so.

Some blocks split, most don't. Until your's does, forget about it. Worrying won't prevent it.

 

i agree, like blh1960 mentioned, there are probably more out there that havent cracked compared to cracked. The main reason most of us hear about it is because it is "news" to everyone on this site when they do crack. like tate said, i wouldnt worry about it. during the time i'd search around for another non-53 block and maybe make a project later down the road to swap everything over to the new block. just a thought

 

My neighbor has a 99 with 260K+ on it and it is rare to see it NOT hooked to his big gooseneck and its chipped ...no crack yet.

 

482,000kms on my 53 block, driven 8-10hrs daily for the past 3yrs, no crack....

 

Very few owner frequent this site. All the big widespread problems talked about are from a small part of a small percent of users here. My 99 had about 160,000 miles, 53 block, all factory except the LP. I changed it just because. It still had the factory belts and hoses when sold. Probably still does. I know of a 99 that had well over 500,000 miles that pulls a Case backhoe 6 days a week. It too has factory everything. I'm actually thinking it had 700,000 miles on it and that was all over three years ago when i saw it last, and it's still going.

 

Still going at 153000. If it goes there is nothing you can do but replace/repair it. Why worry about it now.

 

235,000 miles still going.

 

225K miles on mine working hard and pulling a cow trailer. All is well.

 

Probablly less than 2% ever have a issue. Believe Cummins would have to recall if much greater than that. I'm sure the feds have reviewed as a safety/durability issue.

 

Why do you think Cummins would EVER recall 53 blocks? That would be a huge expense. Recalls are don on safety equipment or on items that endanger the public safety NOT on items such as a cracked block.

 

Hey, thanks all, the mini survey has produced some reassuring results, basically mostly happy 53 block drivers, especially those that chip and pull more than stock from them. I had learned previously, that you just gotta drive em until failure, if ever. I also assume that as the model years(99.5 to 2001) age, there will be more cores or engines with the Mexico block, available for replacement.

Thanks all

 

105,000 on my 99.....no crack! Love this truck!!

 

98.5 and 107,000 no crack yet, just everything else as seen below. Nate