If you have a 53 block let me know if it cracked or not and how many miles you had or have on the truck.

 

I don't have a 53, but I've heard of many people with 200+K on them still going strong. Some guys are making big HP too....

 

knock on wood....doing just fine w/185k.
do a search on here for 53 block....someone recently took a survey on this subject.

 

Only a small percentage crack but it isnt a cheap fix if yours does crack.

So far, mines been good.

 

My '98 has 218,000 with no cracks.

 

the 98.5 in my sig with the 270k plus miles had the 53 and was chipped never had a problem other then going thru 7 nv4500

 

Bought my old 99 at about 210k and ran it HARD with edge comp and edge 5 nozzles and the block was fine up to 275k when she was decommisioned.

 

There was an article an issue or 2 back in TDR that you could pull a freeze plug and take a measurement and see if it was likely to crack. I've never heard of anyone doing that though.

-Vic

 

decommisioned.. you mean it cracked???

 

435,000kms (approx 270,000miles) no issues yet driven hard daily. (8-10hrs of use), if it cracks tomorrow I've gotten my use out of it, and in the 140,000kms I've put on has cost me 25,000$ in fuel in the last 2yrs

I believe its a small percentage that cracks

 

Ok guys I wanted to chime in on the 53 block disscussion. I have a 1999 with a 53 block that cracked at 108,000 miles from rear freeze plug to the block heater! I bought the truck used and little did I know that it had already been repaired.(which is why it diddn't leak when I bought it), it was a lock n stitch repair, which was no good, so don't do it. At one point I was leaking almost 2 gallons a week driving the truck every day. I finally talked to a friend of mine who owns his own welding company and is very good with cast iron. We took the truck apart and welded the crack and put a cast iron patch over it. I have done this twice, the first time it lasted a year before the leak came back, but the second time we used a bigger patch and I am going on two years with just a tiny bit of seeping out of the vertical weld in the back, nothing to even worry about. Just wanted to give you some info, if you have any questions, I will be happy to help.

 

195k on my 01. chipped and injectors since 115k. no cracks on my 53.

 

When I bought my '99, I discovered it had the 53. So, I did a LOT of research and found that the 53 blocks were cast in Brazil. SOME of the molds shifted during casting and as a result the block can be thinner at certain points. These are the ones that crack. Some guys pull a freeze plug and put a micrometer on the block to see if it's thick enough. I finally quit worrying and mine did just fine. Never cracked. Traded it off because of the high price of dizzle fyool. Now driving a little Ford Focus, but miss that truck!

 

98 12v, 53 Block, 136,000 miles, still throwin black smoke & pullin like a freight train!

 

I believe there are very few cracked 12V 3 blocks that have craaked. I dont think its an issue with teh 12V. But it is with the 24V due to different harmonics.