Exhaust problem

[Bob Benner]

I've run into a problem with the connection of the two exhaust manifolds,
(tubes, pipes)
that run across the top of my 8V92 engine. I've had the connection loosen twice
before,
one time causing the alternator to be fried and replaced. The last time I
'fixed', sic. it, it
held for about a year and a half but this year driving north from Florida I
could hear the
engine getting louder as the pipes loosened and finally began to blow black
smoke as we
traveled home from the Myrtle Rally. As those of you who attended that rally
know my
mechanical prowess is not great, hence the first annual 'broken but here' award
holds a
dear spot in my coach, therefore I ask if any one else has had the following
problem and
how did you solve it?

The problem seems to be that the, (sorry about the nomenclature), connections
from pipe
to pipe do not clamp down properly. On one side there is a flange?? that is
clamped to the
left hand (looking forward) pipe as it crosses over the engine. It has a curved
end that the
curved clamp, clamps to.

On the other side there is a ring that is supposed to slip over that pipe and I
think it is
supposed to clamp down on the pipe running to the right side. Trouble is there
is space
between that ring and the pipe and the clamp does not clamp but has play. The
last time I
'fixed' it I put a piece of curved thin metal between the ring and pipe and
peened down the
right side edges of the clamp to make contact.

Perhaps I'm missing some other piece or there is some material that I could fill
the space
with so that the clamp clamps. Or maybe someone else has had this problem and
has a
great fix. Thanks in advance

I am adding a url to a page with pictures to go with the text to make my
explanations
clearer.

http://bennersfarm.com/BF%20Home/Bluebir...lemma.html

thanks again.