I have been reading about the #53 block and the possible problems. So I checked to see if I had that block and saw a 53 on the sides so I guessed I do. My truck is also a Mexico built truck, and I have also read that Mexico didnt have that block? Anyways, I was under the truck today changing oil and noticed the freeze plugs in the block. From the outer edge of the freeze plug to the outside of the block I see about 5mm. Now I understand that the #53 is only 6mm thick and the other block castings are 12mm thick but I dont get how the freeze plugs in mine can be so deep for such a thin casting. It looks like the freeze plugs are so close to the inner edge that you could pop them in with a light tap of a hammer or either the block is around 12mm thick. Totally confused. Does anyone else know how deep their freeze plugs sit, even if they have the #53 or not.

 

No but the freeze plug area would be heavier like a boss for a fitting. The area that cracks is on the passenger side, at the rear of the engine, looking up from the pan rail you will see an area where the block gets wider with about a 1/2 inch radius. The block cracks in that radius about the last 8 inches or so of the block.

The easy way to see any leakage if you ever start loosing water is to look down from the open hood and you will see what looks like a 1 inch freeze plug, which is the plug for the commercial engine turbo return. This plug will collect anti-freeze in it and look like oil due to the black paint. Later lines will form extending down from the crack to the pan rail form the anti-freeze running down. It will only leak when running down the road and more the heavier the pull.

 

This is gonna be a dumb question, one that will surely cause someone to laugh, but can you fix this block in place? JB weld?

 

JB weld wont work cause the area in question does alot of flexing.

--Justin

 

Turns out that there IS a fix, it is posted on another site:

http://dieselram.com/cgi-bin/ultimat...c;f=2;t=001580