So my truck is leaking coolant and I found a crack along the right side of my block right under the freeze plugs.:doah: The truck runs just fine, just leaks coolant which makes the temp. gauge move around quite a bit. After doing quite a bit of research, I have found two viable alternatives for fixing the 53 block problem... Alternative 1) Repair the crack... After doing a lot of reading and talking to professionals, I have found that the crack cannot be reliably fixed by welding. Apparently it is sketchy to weld complicated cast iron parts (ie engine blocks). The only way to correctly fix the problem is to perform the Lock & Stitch Repair where they actually drill holes in the crack, tap the holes, and insert plugs which are ground down flush with the block. However, although this repairs the crack, the block can crack again in the same place since the repair does not address the root issue, which is an abnormally thin section of the block where the crack occurs. In order to prevent further cracks, Lock & Stitch installs brackets on the side of the block that strengthen it enough that it should prevent it from cracking again. The disadvantages to this repair are the price and the reliability of the repair. The Lock & Stitch repair will cost you $3200 if you have them do the work and they need to keep your truck for a week. If that wasn't bad news enough, the rep. refused to give me any sort of guarantee that their repair will even last; so you might end up having to spend another $3200 fixing the same issue. Alternative 2) Replace the Motor... Although this sounds expensive, it is actually a more cost-effective option. If you can find a 2002 cummins, it will bolt right into your 2nd gen. Ram and it won't be a 53 block; I believe the 53 was discontinued after 2001. If you look around online, you can find a 2002 Cummins in good running condition for less than $4000 and most places will ship it anywhere in the US for free. Then you just pay, at most, $1500 for installation and you have a whole new motor that won't crack at all. I know there are a ton of people that have these blocks so I hope this information helps to clear up some of the confusion about the issue. Here are some links that fully explain the 53 block problem and the lock & stitch repair... http://www.stamey.info/Truck/Cummins53BlockFAQ.htm http://www.locknstitch.com/RepairExamples.htm
$3200 is high. I think you can find a whole motor for $3200. Let me see what can find around here. . . . Sorry to hear about the trouble.
Yeah it is expensive... and when I asked the rep. at Lock & Stitch if I could have someone do it down here, he said he didnt know of any shops that would do it. And yes I have found 2002 motors for anywhere from $2900 up to $4800. Thanks for looking around for me, I appreciate it. waytogo
