on the 98.5 and 99 24 valve cummins bearing the casting imprint 53 there was a flaw in the cast. I first noticed my anti-freeze level was dropping at the beginning af april. 2 weeks later I had the coolant system pressure tested, to find a crack in my block about half an inch long in behind the turbo, my truck has 160,000 km on it and is no longer covered under warranty, Now I have talked to at least 10 other people who have found the exact same crack on the same motor. aafter some research I found out the flaw is one side of the block wascast almost a quarter inch too thin and all these motors will eventually crack. The good news is if you catch it early enough it is fixable through a method called stitching. the motor is drilled and time neumorous times on either side of the crack and pounded to seal. But if the crack is left too long it will grow right up to 3 feet long, then your motor is a throw away.

this is my third and lst cumminas I will ever buy! I now have over 50 000$ into this truck and everytime I get something fixed something else goes. The entire front end has beel redone, new beefed up transmission, lift and injector pump, and now a crack in my block? hey dodge , take this truck and stick it, I'm going back to chev!!!

 

So you have had a few bad eggs....and the other 90% of cummins out there are still going strong. I can see why your mad right now, but dont get a chebby diesel. Not being biased, i like ford and chevy too, but unless you REALLY want problems that is, i could go on and on about their crappy designs on their 2500 3500 (aluminum block on a DIESEL, WTF is that!!???, IFS...just plain dumb, on and on and on) I am from a small rural community, the guys who have the cummins are the ones that are in the shops the least. These local farmers/rachers use their trucks very hard, they are the people that thes diesel trucks are truely made for, a real test to see which truck is the most durable. Cummins go forever. The new chevy's are junk, plain and simple. Ford is not to shabby, but its no CTD. There is a reason the Cummins is in Freightliners. When you have hardcore chevy and ford guys tell you that cummins is the best diesel motor, then that's enough said.

Id like to see a ford or chebby do this:
http://www.relentlessdiesel.com/media/boothvideo.wmv

http://videos.streetfire.net/search/...CA1C9D2D2F.htm

Funny, but true-http://inlinediesel.com/deathmatch/

 

the 53 block has been discussed here before and in depth, you are right about the water jacket casting in the block being thin, 5.5mm as opposed to what Cummins mandated 11mm thick. The 53's were cast in Brazil, and there was aparently an issue of reading the schematics for the design of the new block for that model year.

the 53 block is an issue yes, however I know some guys with the 53 block that have in excess of 300K with no issues.

the 53 block was not the only block for those model years, as a matter of fact the 53 block can be found all the way to 01's, however there was a Mexican cast of the same block that actualy has more metal cast into the block that what there is supposed to be. These blocks have since become power houses for modders sicne the block is thicker and stronger. the Brazillian cast was a pour cast and pour metal as compared to other castings.

Warning people about something they already know to be true, but what ahs been said before me is more proof of worse engineering. Aluminum Diesel blocks, heads, poor design of injectors and turbo's for the fords, the list goes on and on.

yes, there are problems with the 53 block, but it can be fixed, what you cant fix is a split aluminum block

 

Where would you look for the casting imprint # on a '99?

 

Yea, go get an Aluminum block Duramax! (sarcasm)

 

NJNUT look on drivers side(has it on pass side as well but its in a bad spot to see) bout 2 to 3 inches back from front of block bout 1 to 2 inchs up from olilpan if its a 53 or 54 or 56 the leters will be about 1 to 2 inches tall if you have a long code of #s thats about 1/2 inch tall then you have a mexican block and no worrys there as far as i no i havent heard of any problems with the 54 or 56 casting brazialian block hope this helps