Bob, you'll find the attached old article of mine relevant to your inquiry, and I've learned a bit more about the Kelch units in the subsequent years.
My 1934 Packard has the remains of a factory Kelch installation, I've had it since the 1960s and have been looking unsuccessfully for a replacement heat exchanger for all those years, to my knowledge it has never been available as a reproduction part. As permanent antifreeze with it's higher boiling point and cylinder head thermostats came into use, dealers were more than willing to offer replacement hot water heaters. I later learned that the exchanger tubes which were in actual contact with the exhaust gases were made of monel or stainless.
Kelch heaters were also used in Cadillac, Pierce Arrow, Duesenberg, and other high end cars.
Attach file:
KELCHP~1 .jpg (213.81 KB)
KELCHP~2.JPG (175.35 KB)
KELCHP~3.JPG (201.10 KB)
KELCHP~4.JPG (216.21 KB)
This Post was from: https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?post_id=231271