A couple of years ago Kevin O’Conner told me about putting a brass sleeve over the end of my Mike’s burner. I had done it but was having problems lately keeping it lit at first, so I took it off. BIG mistake! I had a hard time lighting it(my igniter quit) from the top. Flames would shoot out the top, or it would just ‘pop’ and go out. Once I got it lit, I was getting flames coming into the smoke box. So I will put it back on.
It is just a piece of K&S brass tubing that is a bit smaller than the burner o.d and 2" long. Slit the tubing all the way down so it will slide over the burner. Have it on the front of the burner, slit facing down. This will force the flame more to the center and back of the boiler and it heats up faster and no more flames in the smokebox, or shooting out the top!