Man you guys got me freaked out about this 53 block , I'm going to go up to the truck tomorrow to check it out..... What do I do if it has a 53 block in it, the guy never said anything, I will ask him. Do I let such a pretty truck go because of that????????I SEE 53 IN MY SLEEP.[&:]I see they make a reinforcement bracket has anyone put one in????????

 

I have a 53 with 177k miles on it and have no problems yet. I figure if it was going to crack, it would have done it by now. I also tow very heavily with my truck.

A few precautions you could take would be to always use your block heater, and let it warm up before heavy use. It seems that sudden temperature changes will cause the crack to occur. It also seems that the older 53's have more problems than the newer ones.

I have a quadzilla commander and I have the EGT and water temp alarms set so that I know when the temps get too hot and I can back off.

You can getlots of goodinfo on the 53 block here.
http://www.stamey.info/Truck/Cummins53BlockFAQ.htm

 

Thanks for the info, I live in Florida sos I don't have to use a block heater

 

IMHO, I would walk away if it has the 53 block. Even though it may not be cracked or the truck is in good condition, you are just buying into what could be potential problems. A cummins ain't exactly the cheapest engines to replace, lol.

 

If it's got a 53 block, I'd lowball the crap out of it. If the guy balks, take a pass. There are plenty of other Rams out there.