Aerospace Quality Race Exhaust
Photos/Story: T-Bone
In the Summer and Fall of 2013 I started receiving e-mail news about a new stainless steel polish called Manifold Destiny from Burns Stainless. The e-blasts said they would be at the SEMA Show, so I made it a point to stop by their booth. Like many of you, I am intrigued with new products.
At their booth we met Vince and Jack. I noticed on their business card that they are located just a few miles south of us in Costa Mesa, so we got busy setting up a shop tour. After a couple of calls, Billy was able to secure an appointment to see Jack Burns.
We arrived at the shop in the morning and was quite surprised on the modest size of the shop. Don’t let the size of the shop fool you though. This is a true testament to the ingenuity of the NEW American manufacturing. We have found that American Manufacturers have streamlined their processes; to do what they do best in-house then rely on (usually local) supporting services. Such as the case at Burns Stainless. The family at Burns focus’ on their ability to engineer incredibly efficient custom exhaust systems. They are laser sharp on product development to help solve exhaust challenges for the discerning race team, and performance minded individuals. No cookie cutter “off-the-shelf” versions here. You have a specific need, they make it work.
We saw examples of this including an 8 into 1 system for an off-road open-wheel Class 1 buggy with an LS engine. Then we saw a jig for a V-8 Hayabusa engine (made from two motors sharing a crankshaft). Specialty exhaust for Corvette road racing is something they have quite a bit of experience utilizing a double-slip connectors for superior fit and reduction of leaks.
Their focus on solutions to bring incredible performance all the way down to the end of the fuel burn cycle includes using aircraft grade materials and clamps. We saw that with the use of lightweight Inconel superalloy and Wiggins Clamps. For applications that need a bit of movement Burns offers silicone hose for flexible connections.
Have you ever heard about Tunable Collectors? We haven’t. Like jets in your carburetor, you can now tune your exhaust using different venturi inserts depending on track and atmospheric conditions. Who thinks of these things?
Jack showed us around the entire facility introducing us to the “family” as we toured. We met office manager Koren, Mike and Fernando in the manufacturing area, Michael was running between shipping and managing the website, Corey in the front office and Jack’s partner Rick was in the shipping department. Then we went a couple of doors down to meet Spoons who does all their finish welding. Damn! He has some straight beads. All-in-all a great group, super friendly, and passionate about their work. We strongly recommend Burns Stainless when you are looking for that unique, creative and perfect solution to your performance exhaust needs. Visit www.BurnsStainless.com to learn more.