Exhaust leak

[chockwald]

On our trip to Creede, CO I noticed that the coolant temps were running higher than normal, maybe 5-6 degrees. As I shared in one of my "Creede Diaries" posts Tom suggested cleaning off the radiator, which we did, and the temps went back to normal. I wrote off the grime on the engine side of the radiator as just due to 12,000 miles of road gunk collecting on the radiator fins. When I got home I was checking the oil level in my oil resevoir, which I access through a small door on the left side of the radiator, and I noticed what appeared to be a breach in the flex tubing that connects the exhaust manifold with the exhaust pipe. Upon closer inspection the breach appeared to be quite large. Hmmmmm....that's what caused all that grime to build up so quickly! I purchased some new flex tubing from Ryder Fleet Products, and will make the repair today. Pictures to follow. I only needed about 3 linear feet, but the shortest length I could purchase of the 5" diameter flex tubing was 10 linear feet for $42, so if anyone else developes this same issue, I've got you covered!