So I bought this 2008 F-150 lariat used last week, and have been fixing a few minor issues. Lately when the truck is idling/stopped I could smell exhaust in the cab. Crawled under the truck to look at the exhaust and found this poorly fitted connection. Every other joint is welded, except the one in the background which is tightly sealed with a band clamp. I'm able to slide the smaller pipe back and forth in the bigger pipe about 3/4 of an inch. What's the best/easiest fix for rhis?

 

 

Take it to an exhaust shop and have it cut out and welded together.

 

Beat option.. or slide them together and tigthen the clamp

 

That looks like a lot of room in that pipe. Might not get tight. Need to have it welded right since everything else is welded

 

Do mufflers require any special welding? I've got a buddy that welds. Or is it something that would be better done by a shop?

 

No. Just metal. Gotta be able to get all the way around

 

From the lack soot at that joint I doubt very much that it is source of your problem. I would look more to oil leak on hot manifolds or a PCV problem. Also the fact you can slide that joint indicates that the connection to the manifold's is loose.

 

BOR10,
From your location and pictures, appears that you may have a larger problem coming your way.
The frame rust in your pictures posted will come to be more severe and will compromise the integrity of your truck in the near future unless you do something now to make it stop.
Just because it does not show on the body does not mean it is not an immediate issue.

 

The exhaust smell is immediate, as soon as I start the truck. No time for oil to get hot and burn off. It's an exhaust smell, not burning oil. I started it the other morning when it was cold and could watch the exhaust flowing out of that gap. You can see the scratches on the pipe where it slides in an out. I don't think it's from looseness, just from flexing the smaller pipe, and pushing it into the larger one. I have to push/pull pretty hard to make it happen.