First off I'm not an engine builder. I work on equipment but have never rebuilt a motor. That being said this is the info I got from my shop foreman, Caterpillar, and the owner of the company. The owner was actually running the machine when this happened. I wish I had pictures to share, but anyway this is how it went. Boss man is chipping, engine is running fine, he said stumbled, blew a cloud of black smoke out of the exhaust and then the block "EXPLODED"! This thing blew a hold out both sides of #3 cylinder. The machine is still under warranty so they called Bandit and they said take it to Cat. We've dealt with Cat on warranty issues before and this is the FIRST time there were no questions asked, no discussion. As soon as the foreman showed up at their shop he was met with a service bulletin and told you'll have it back in two weeks, new motor, not a dime out of pocket....well, except for the down time. That just about cost what the engine would have. Anyway, the bulletin is where my question lies. They claim that over time the intercooler due to condensation collects water in the system. During operation this water that collects freezes. When enough water collects, and this block of ice gets big enough, they say it can eventually dislodge, go through the system and when it enters a cylinder/cylinders this is the result. I'm hoping someone can educate me here, but this seems ridiculous to me. Would the operating temperature of the machine itself not be enough to keep ice from forming in the intercooler?
My first impressions reading that are 100% total BS............. can't happen. In the first place the aftercooler doesn't cool the charge air coming from the turbo down enough to freeze it. All it does is take really hot air and make it slightly less hot. Do you know if the engine has 1-piece (steel) or 2-piece (aluminium skirt/steel crown) pistons by any chance..? I know that if it grenaded then most of the pistons will be in multiple pieces but you get my meaning. If you'd like to post a Serial Number I can trawl through Service Information and see what comes up. There is a piston upgrade, but without the S/N it's hard to tell if it applies to the engine in question.
I could see a possibility of ice forming somewhere on the suction side of the turbo(s) due to a venturi effect, but no way on the boost side? Sounds like they were channeling an old Pratt and Whitney bulletin for the induction on big radials! (Pull the carb heat!)
Oh yeah, the old intercooler icing, seems to pop up every August in South Carolina On the face of it, the facts seem ridiculous, but if you change the facts around a little you can see how it would be possible. Just ask a politician. I'd like to see what the bulletin says.
I would too. I know this thread is old now. But they ended up giving a full warranty on the motor and have had no issues I know of since. I believe they ended up putting some sort of a small weep hole on the intercooler piping to allow whatever condensation that may be in there to drain. Not sure though, I work for the railroad now. I do miss turning wrenches sometimes though.
so they custom installed a boost leak?
It's kind of like a petcock valve they drain once a day. I work for them part time every now and then. I'll see if I can get a pic of it next time I'm there.