I have never seen a 53 block in 02..

 

I just got a returned call from the guy. It is in fact a 53 block truck.

 

Should I buy this thing anyway if it doesn't have a leak? How hard would it be to prevent a leak or fix it?

 

not all 53's were made in mexico, i am not aware of any way to tell wich ones were. if it was made im mexico my understanding is that they break most often when pulling heavy loads at high altitude and if loaded up with power. many people claim that a mexico 53 will go for hundreds of thousands of miles under normal use with out performance mods with out cracking. as for repair... there are some who have drilled holes in the block along the crack and JB welded it. i have no idea how well this holds but some think it works. that having been said if its more than just the outside wall that cracks (wich it often is) then you just need a new block, no repair available to my knowledge.

 

I believe the "53" blocks were from Brazil. Mexico blocks were good and didn't have a "53" cast into them. I have not read about anyone with an original engine in a 2002 having a "53" block. So if the truck is in fact a 2002 and has a "53" block, it's either extremely rare, the engine was replaced or it's not a 2002. What it all adds up to is that something smells fishy and you should be careful.

53 Block FAQ and Information

 

i can get an extended warranty for cheap that will cover this truck bumper to bumper including the block. i might pull the trigger

 

I have a hard time believing its a 53 block in that year, but if it is in fact a 53, it's impossible to know when or if it's gonna crack. Some people have em for 250k+ miles with out a problem and others have em crack a lot earlier on. I've never dealt with one personally but from what I've seen the motor must be pulled to fix the block or if you're going to replace it all together. It was alot more common in the earlier years like 98-00, but have never heard of a newer (01-02) truck having a 53. Anything is possible I suppose and buying a 53 is just a gamble, you may never have a problem or you may end up with a bug problem, it's impossible to know.


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**** my 2001 4x4 has a 53 . its the oem engine and a 53 fo sho .

 

Hmm thought it was a 99-01 issue didn't know 02's had the 53 block... Mine is 56

 

There is so much unknown information about the 53 block which makes it hard to know what to do. For instance, its not even known if ALL 53's were cast too thin or was there just casting inconsistencies from a specific engine casting location. Did all 53's come from the same location? If all Cummins are noted to be approximately the same weight then wouldn't a 53, which is supposedly half the material, be at least 1/4 the weight of other castings? How come some will last forever and others crack immediately? The crack location is within a large area of coolant and there are guys who state that their Cummins will fluctuate engine temperatures up in the range of +/- 10* or more while driving. That cant be good for anything and is because of bogus thermostats so why wouldn't a constant fluctuation of engine coolant temp be a potential issue for cracking? The list of unanswered questions goes on and on.

 

53 blocks were available from 99-03 truth be told!!!

 

My 12V has a 53...build date 11/97

 

I think I will pass on the truck. I don't want to chance getting stuck with a major and costly project

 

There is a repair for these blocks-its called lock and stitch- works great!!! Go to www.lock-n-stitch.com!

 

I have heard of people using this with success but have also seen the rear of the block crack and the motor still had to be pulled to use this method of repair.

 

don't you have to pull the motor to repair it?

 

My 02 has a 56 block in it, my neighbors truck is an 02 wth a 53 block. The original owner of that truck had warranty issues and the motor was replaced by the dealer under warranty by a new block. Just so happens he got a 53 block when they did.

Other than that truck, i've never factory installed 53 block in person. But I've heard of a few of them out there.