AlV 69 Dodge GTS project

So I've been working on two things.
First I'm having a cooling issue and I cannot seem to track it down yet. I am sureall of the air clear of the system but it's still giving me the business. Next I'll remove the thermostat,if I still have issues I'll pull the water pump to inspect it then... well I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

Second issue is an exhaust leak at the drivers side flange. I tried loosening the exhaust to re-tighten the flange bolts but no luck. it's still out just a little. Today I bought a new gasket and pulled down the mid pipe then installed the gasket and synched the flange into position. Looks like the gap is gone but the center to center measurement of the pipes for the midsection shrunk to 16 inches. I have to cut some material from the "H-Pipe" to line up the mid and the exhaust pipes.

I may be digging a hole for myself here ...