Bandit 3590 chipper/C-18 Cat #3 piston window in block

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?

Bandit 3590 chipper/C-18 Cat #3 piston window in block