hi

I am a contractor, I have a 99 6.5 work truck - I bought it used with 103K - it went a year with a mystery coolant leak - no more mystery - the crank locked, and when we pulled it apart :(cracked block. I have a guy in LA who will sleve it and rebuild the bottom end for $1700 but I talked to some of the guys who sell the new long blocks with the new blocks on the internet and though the $ is steep I am leaning that way.

I don't really want to junk the truck - I put in a new turbo and the dealer did a bunch of freew upgrades so I 'd like to use it for a few more years. And, being a diesel newby, I don't know if it is going to crack again like the new block guys say. So I am stuck in the indecision of what to do - any advice?

G

What brands is the new block you're talking about, and what's the price for it?

He said he made his business because they cracked so often. I guess the new blocks use better steel and have a better design. But no, he didn't say a specific reason. I just got spooked. I was thinking of taking it to the local guy and have him look and see if it can be done. I just don't want to dump a bunch of $ in it getting the cylindar sleeved and have it fail a year or so later. G

I went to 6.5liter.com - it is $4090 for a new long block + $500 core + $44 shipping a lot of scratch.

G

If you're using coolant, and the crack started at the mains and traveled up into the cylinder bore, scrap the block, it cannot be reliably repaired.

Cracks in the mains (one, possibly two) can be repaired with special inserts, or repair the crack, then splay the block and forget that weak location on the mains.

Sleeves don't work well on these blocks, they tend to move, or cause portions on the cylinder deck near the sleeve to crack, namely head bolt holes near the cylinder being sleeved, because of the additional material taken out around the bore. <- One hell of a run-on sentence :)

do a google search on 65 diesel aka international diesel ltd i think they have changed their name recently to avoid legal action if you need more info just let me know i will send you to a lot of threads discussing their co. their newly desined bloks are some junk castings out of brazil thay put up a good front till they get paid. i bought a new long block from them and got a brazilan block full of used parts whith a nice paint job if you do enough research you will find dozens of horror stories. i have read lots of stories about them selling cracked blocks as remains that have water running out of the exhaust on inital start up BEWARE good luck

i had the same problem i took mine to the dealership they wanted 12 thousand $ i thought they were crazy so i ordered a new redesined long block with better steel for 44 hundred $ plus a 500$ core. no one has ever got their core back. if i had it to do over i would go with the dealership and have a 3 year 36,000 mile warrenty and a motor i could trust

there only three solid company that sell good 6.5 motors peninasular diesel, a.m.g.,general motors hope this helps

the coolant that destroyed my crank had made its way throughout the oiling system so in the next 10,000 miles anything i didnot replace failed. when you get past 100,000 miles its time for injectors and probobly a injector pump a complete drop in is something to think about.these are all the things the dealership told me. wish i would have listend to them

they kept assureing me of their 1 year unlimited milage warrenty upon initial start up i had oil running out of both vaulve covers(no gaskets or sealer) when i called about this problem they quickly informed me of the leagle loop hole that disqualified the warrenty... they said all motors are run for 1 hour on dyno ,how could it run for that long with no v/c gaskets or sealant and not be noticed. i now have oil leaking frm both front and rear main seals and a vaulve train problem/ vaulve sring ,cam shaft ,lifter?.........be very carefull they will straight up lie to you and sell you some junk and play the corprate shell game and there is verry little or nothing you can do about it......... if they take paypal and have been in business for a few years they are probabley ok but if they dont accept paypal stay away from them... if you have a problem paypal will tie up the money you paid for it untill problem is resolved or arbitrated....i know im being long winded on this but i could have saved myself a lot of money by doing more research and not beleiving what people say..... the snake oil business is still going on

usually if someone wants a core their not selling you a new block!! When you buy new there is no core charge!! core's are used for rebuilding not for making new parts

Don't forget about kennedydiesel.com in regards to viable options. Very honest, doesn't beat around the bush. It may still be more $$ than what you were thinking about spending, but it's another option.

Yowch! One of the sites - said they had the optimizer block - maybe that is a better plan? I'll call a few dealers and see what they want.

G

usually if someone wants a core their not selling you a new block!! When you buy new there is no core charge!! core's are used for rebuilding not for making new partsthe reason for the core is they need the guts for next rebuild,but will use block too if not cracked

There is a whole engine in the (for sale section) on the other site. I personally don't know anything about it. but for the price he's asking it might be worth a look.

I hope you can see the cracks in the photo - there is one horizontal one near the top of the cylindar and another behind the bolt hole.

Yuck.

I think it is shot. I don't think it can be sleved?. Am I right? New block time?

G

the reason for the core is they need the guts for next rebuild,but will use block too if not cracked
that's my point. core's are for rebuilding. if it's rebuilt it is not new.

I hope you can see the cracks in the photo - there is one horizontal one near the top of the cylindar and another behind the bolt hole.

Yuck.

I think it is shot. I don't think it can be sleved?. Am I right? New block time?

G


What does the crack on the top look like, the one in the bore is fixable with sleeve, but the one on the top probably isn't, got a better shot of that one?

I had to monkey with the brightness and contrast to make it a bit more visible - I didn't realize how washed out it was when I shot it.

What do you think?

G

that's my point. core's are for rebuilding. if it's rebuilt it is not new.this is my point. rebuilders use the guts of the core to put in new blocks,but hey if the block is good,why trash it,coat of new paint does wonders ;).otherwise they would sell a new engine. than they can't be called rebuilders anymore eh.

Wow, this is cylinder #1 from the looks of things, definitely not the common one to develop cracks.

Looks like the cylinder wall cracked, was letting in coolant. Then at one point in time enough coolant (or repeated times) hydro-locked the engine, leading to the cylinder head attempting to be pushed off the block, thus cracking the threaded hole you see cracked up top.

I don't think this one's worth fixing.

The only way it's worth fixing if if there are absolutely NO main cracks below. For this you'll need to pull the pan and wipe all the mains down on the block and look for hair line cracks.

I think the crack up top would take an insert to fix, and the crack in the sidewall would take a sleeve. I just don't think that between the two that with confidence it would not move and cause gasket failures over these areas.

Definitely and odd failure here, not the norm.

Thanks for the photo.

And for Weik and Bisen, enough about the rebuilt or new argument!

And for Weik and Bisen, enough about the rebuilt or new argument!

OK, OK, OK, :o:

well, it did hydro lock - thur it was a small clunk when I tried to start it first thing in the am, I didn't know what it was doing but it sounded wrong. Fri it was a really hard bang but it started - I thought it was weird. Then I went to the lumber yard - got some stuff, went to start it again and out puffed a large cloud of steam -I figgured it had blown a head gasket. Sat I went to start it to drive it to the diesel shop - It wouldn't start - it was locked up solid, so I towed it to the shop

I guess that 's when I killed the block -Trying to start it repeatedly sat - thinking it would clear out and start. I suppose I should have taken it to the shop on wed and the crack would not have been so bad.

So now I am going to buy a short or long block.

6-5liter.com says they have the amg blocks - they also list on e-bay, take pay pal - I'll end up paying more for the block then what I paid for the truck ($2K on e-bay) I plan to call Kennedy, a few dealers and Peninslar when I get back from work and take the best deal - any other leads?

G

I hope you can see the cracks in the photo - there is one horizontal one near the top of the cylindar and another behind the bolt hole.

Yuck.

I think it is shot. I don't think it can be sleved?. Am I right? New block time?

GIMO that block is toast, not worth to fix it,gonna give you grief shortly again,chuck it.

You will never be sorry for buying the best.That said I would buy a used ,non cracked,non bored ,599 block from the last 6.2 /early 6.5 years that has been professionally analyzed for cracks/defects,etc. That is what Jim @ The D Page used for his power project. Over 200K of problem free towing/driving before sold. One thing to consider is if you do the engine yourself by sub letting oprerations & no one provider has any liability beyond the correct workmanship is that you will be the warranter of the engine. How ever if you spend 2 or 3 times as much $$$ & she fails just after a time or mileage warranty you're on your own also. Avoid a "new" GM dealer engine as you pay the big $$$ & it seems to me those have an unacceptable high failure rate. The particular engines I'm referring to were typically cast in 1999 & were still being installed in the 2000/2001/2002 6.5 trucks,both on assembly line & service replacements under warranty & customer pay.There was a tremendous amount of assembly line ready complete 6.5 engines because of vehicle sales slow down nearing the Duramax debut. The bad rap 6.5 failure rate also slowed new sales. Of course the 99 Powerstroke & new truck took the market away from GM also. Just make the decision that seems best for your situation.

Yes 4door, but where do I find said block? G

6-5liter.com says they have the amg blocks - they also list on e-bay, take pay pal - I'll end up paying more for the block then what I paid for the truck ($2K on e-bay) I plan to call Kennedy, a few dealers and Peninslar when I get back from work and take the best deal - any other leads?

G
PM Chrisk1500, He did some research into amg blocks. A lot of businesses claim to sell amg blocks but are actually Chinese knock-offs. Leo