Deck plate mod, worth it?

AntleredRuin said:
Haha well, sure, if you wanted the long, more in depth, more accurate version.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Haha, the devil is always in the details

All the chevy performance/hot rod mod mags went crazy over factory vortec heads when they first showed up on chevy trucks. BOLT ON 40 HP, they said. The frenzy at the junk yards was on, it was a blood bath.

But unless you had a dyno and were building with the intended design in mind (and had the right casting heads) you might as well have turned your ride into a pig. You need to use domed pistons and the set the quench pad just right with a shim gasket, plus California only has 91 octane. Run anything less than 9.1:1 compression or 93 octane and you'll eventually detonate yourself into a new engine with every pedal stab.

Similar with GT40 heads on 289/302 fords.The head flows great, but the chamber was actually higher volume than stock heads, so you lost compression. Can you say turd magnet? But put those same heads on a 351 Cleveland with flat tops, 1.7:1 roller rockers, an .030 gasket with a decent cam and you have a 400 HP (at the crank) motor on 89 octane.

Then one also needs to consider trans gear ratios and rear end gear/tire size to make a winning combo, but that's another story :50cal:
 
phattyduck said:
I was always under the impression that modifications to the 'dirty' side of the air intake system were legal. I did some searching and couldn't find a good link/explanation one way or the other though.

I did just pass with a deck plate (closed) at a pretty thorough smog place...

-Charlie
Click to expand...

Yeah, each smog tech is different. I was [un]lucky to get a veteran who knew the smog regulations and could literally quote them. He said that if the airbox had any cracks or openings it did not mention repairs, but "it must be replaced with a non-cracked or altered box". New airbox for me :(

There's plenty that also pass smog with the 7th injection and other "illegal" mods but I have not had such luck.
 
K&N filter ok to run?

Resurrecting an old thread here. I’m currently running the stock intake with a k&n drop in. Sounds like a few people recommended not using one when running the deck plate mod and replacing it with a oem style filter instead. Any particular reason for this?
 
Dementedfish said:
Resurrecting an old thread here. I’m currently running the stock intake with a k&n drop in. Sounds like a few people recommended not using one when running the deck plate mod and replacing it with a oem style filter instead. Any particular reason for this?
Click to expand...

Since it's actually drawing in some air from the front of the vehicle at speed, it does collect a little bit more dust on the filter. But that's why you have a filter... don't listen to paranoid people and go enjoy it! You can always close the deckplate if it's that dusty.

I also have an oiled filter and the deckplate mod.
 
I have yet to do the deck plate mod... I still have it... just haven't done it...

but for the filters I will say this... I LOVE not having to worry about oil on my filter, 50% of the time, after a long dusty-dirty offroad, I can 'bang' lightly my filter and ALOT of dust comes out. IDK about you, but I'm sure the oil based filters can't clean most of that out cause it's sticking to the oil... I am running Toyota brand air filter (denso).

this is my opinion, you're entitled to disagree...
 
SnowLizard said:
I have yet to do the deck plate mod... I still have it... just haven't done it...

but for the filters I will say this... I LOVE not having to worry about oil on my filter, 50% of the time, after a long dusty-dirty offroad, I can 'bang' lightly my filter and ALOT of dust comes out. IDK about you, but I'm sure the oil based filters can't clean most of that out cause it's sticking to the oil... I am running Toyota brand air filter (denso).

this is my opinion, you're entitled to disagree...
Click to expand...

K&N's do have the lowest filtration rate among major filter manufacturers. It's hard to reproduce real world situations seen by a filter but there's been some good attemps that show this. So your point does have merit. It really depends on how you use your vehicle though. If you don't offroad much (I don't) or live in a wet climate where dust is not very common, it will not factor in as much as it would for a overlanding rig that sees dirt all the time.

I have an aFe oiled filter, which in the same test filtered out twice as many small particulate than a K&N. Still less than a paper filter but pretty darn close. I gained +9 peak HP from the filter alone though... so I'm sticking with it.
 
tystaco said:
I used mesh screen inside my deckplate mod to help catch bigger stuff...because to answer your question, the deckplate mod faces straight at whatever you are driving into, so while I agree that dust can get in through your fender, you are sending more in at 60 mph head on with the mod. I had so much debris caught in my mesh screen that without would have been in the filter...
Click to expand...

How/Where did you apply the mesh? I am considering doing the same.
 
octanejunkie said:
You can hot glue mesh to the inside of the fitting.

Just don't forget to close it in heavy rain or when fording streams.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

gotcha! I'll grab some next time I'm at the hardware store. My problem is going to be remembering to cover during the rain. Thanks for the info!
 
my humble thoughts on this mod.
I did the deck plate mod and drove around with it open for about a week, on and off road, and for me, the only difference I could tell was noise.
I put it back on and had not taken it off in over 2 years.
That said , looking at the design of the air intake in the fender well,,I do think that can be a bottle neck. That said the deck plate mod should be helpful......shouldn't it .

I could be wrong about not feeling any gains and its there if I ever want to try again. Also last winter my fenders were so packed with snow, made me wonder if it is breathing good in that condition ? Maybe I should have opened the deck plate and seen for my self, maybe this winter

However, I do think I felt a difference with resonator box delete, big O gasket, maf and throttle body cleaning and a borla exhaust. ( done months before the deck plate mod)
 
Last edited:
bg_atx said:
gotcha! I'll grab some next time I'm at the hardware store. My problem is going to be remembering to cover during the rain. Thanks for the info!
Click to expand...
I don't think you have any worry about rain - check the front of the airbox for any evidence of water hitting it.... And as long as the water isn't getting above the bumper (fording) you probably won't get water in there driving through streams, etc. It is only a couple inches lower than the fender intake.

I go back and forth on having the cover in place just based on how much noise I want at the time.

-Charlie
 
Phew! I am still a little sensitive to the rainy days right now because I also have a leak coming from the sunroof near the front. I noticed it when I was packing some things in the back and I was parked downhill. It started raining and I noticed water dripping into my cup holder. I did not see it when I parked the opposite direction (uphill) later that day. I also noticed that if I park with one side of the tires on the curb it doesn't occur. Neighbors think I'm crazy and they are mostly right :)
 
I have had mine installed for years. Easy mod, does it help? Maybe. At this point, my 4runner is a toy to me so i run it. I did fail smog on a visual, so keep that in mind, thanks smog guy....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

Total: 326 (members: 3, guests: 323)

Forum statistics

Threads
278,309
Messages
3,554,065
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Share this page

Trending content

Back
Top