kawi600

Site says you can weld cast iron if its pre-heated first. Sounds like youd have to do a complete disassembly. Lock n stitch looks like the better route

J Lent

Yes....you must preheat the cast with a rose bud or torch before welding. That is how I did mine.

Haulin_in_Dixie

You can pick up a used block for about $400 and put your stuff in it. No more cracked block. Most likely have to pull it down anyway...

CTD NUT

Oh? I would kill to find one for $400....please let me know where this is!

VFIMechanic

Ok, so you can weld it, and you can do it very successfuly if you know how to do it correctly. But I dont know about that block becasue if it is a porous block then there is no repair, not even a temporary repair. But if it is not a porous block then if you grind a groove along the crack and then fill it with weld you will be just fine. I have done it at work before. I work a Freightliner ^^^ shop in washington!

CORed

Those of you w/ 53 blocks that cracked, do you have 53 on one side or both in the casting? I have heard someone say that a 53 just on the drivers side is a different cast than a 53 on both drivers and passenger side.

Inquiring minds want to know.

Clayten

Actually to successfully weld cast it must stay cool. You must run small passes and cool them with an air hose. Cracks in any metal are hard to repair. What the real problem is there are many microscopic cracks you can't see. They grow like weeds over time and spread. Drilling a hole at both ends of the crack can help. Cutting the crack out and replacing with a new piece of similar material will work all corners should be rounded. The best rod to use is nickel or NI rod. I have used 7018. I have welded hydraulic parts from heavy equipment and had success. But the real key to success is to keep the parent metal cool.You should be able to hold it in your hands.

Haulin_in_Dixie

Reading the posts on this subject, I don't think many realize what it is that crack these blocks and make them basically unrepairable. The side of the cylinder block comes down vertically and has an indentation in the side that runs the length of the block. This indentation is maybe 3/4 inch deep. So the water jacket of the block comes down vertical, the does a 90 degree toward the cylinders, then has maybe a 1//2 inch radius that brings the water jacket back to the vertical. This 90 degree and radius is too thin as cast. The block expands when hot and flexes this indentation like a hinge. So the block cracks in the radius which is the weakest part.

I purchased an engine from a Cummins Engineer in Columbus Indiana, he explained the past part that Cummins played on this problem. They called it the Afghanistan Crack because it started appearing on trucks climbing the mountains there. Climbing a hill the engine heats up, then running down the other side it cools off greatly, all this expansion flexes the block and cracks it.

Truckman

How many Miles on it?? I had 167000 When mine cracked,, Cummins said they would only cover up to 150000, Here is a copy of there reply from the powermaster@Cummins.

Bob, we understand your frustrations about this issue, however, Cummins and Dodge has made a decision that there is a limit to how far they will consider any assistance and 150k is the limit on a cracked block. Not sure what Ford or GM would do, but suspect they would not consider anything at 167k miles?

Sorry that we could not offer more assistance.

Powermaster

trail rider

I have heard that the Loc-N-Stitch does'nt last very long. A few months at the most, because the whole area on these block 53 is thin.

trail rider

My truck has only 81,000 miles on it. How did you contact Cummins?

JSPulliam21

146000 miles

CORed

Just to repeat the question. Those that cracked... do you have the big '53' on one side of your block (drivers) or both sides?

CTD NUT

Only on the drivers side that I am aware of....

JSPulliam21

My block is not cracked. I know it has a bi ol' 53 on the drivers side.