well , everyone out there must be getting there deckplates from the same place , it took a few weeks to get mine from sailnet.com, but it finally arrived and its installed .
so far from the test drive , i like it , better throttle response , and feels more uppity. ive got a couple of road trips this weekend , ill report back and let you know the mpg and my longer term feeling about it .

airrikk17

 

Congratulations! I actually went to a local boat shop and picked one up for about $12. I saw the 6" deck plate, but when I fitted that one it didn't look right with the overlap, so I went with the recommended 4" deckplate. Since I've had mine, I've noticed improved throttle response, a small boost in HP, and then I noticed the deep roaring sound when I got on the gas hard. Now I can't hear it because my exhaust is so loud, but try doing 0-60 pedal-to-the-medal with it in and then with it out. If you don't have an exhaust you'll definatey notice the throatier engine noise and the throttle response, and maybe the added HP if you start from the same place and see your top speed after a given time. I'm speculating mine gained about 4-6 HP. Also, if you ever clean your engine bay, make sure the deckplate is screwed in.

Zach

 

well i ve ra nhalf of gas of gas thru my truck , still dont know if im better on mpg ,but i definitly run at a lower rpm for higher speed , i noticed this at 70 mph on freeway , im usually sitting at 3000 rpm , but with the deckplate mod ,i was a tad bit lower rpm , which in trn i believe is going to get me better mpg , although i like hearing the roar it makes , so i have been romping on it a bit when ever i can just to hear it LOL , so that im sure will mess with my mpg a bit . ive got a long road trip tuesday ill report back any more findings .

airrikk17

 

I noticed my gas MPG go down quite a bit when I put my deckplate on. I have been driving around with it sealed up for about 2 months now. It's fun to hear the roar, it just get's expensive when it comes to gas. Gas prices are still so high that it's not worth the sound, in my opinion.

 

How many mpg did you gain/lose with/without the mod?

 

Overlap shmoverlap!

Its worth the extra 10HP over the 4"

Click my sig for the 6.

 

I am trying to understand how adding hot air from the engine compartment is going to benefit performance. If your engine needs more air, wouldn't it be better to make a larger hole through the fender well to allow cool air to enter?

I also don't see how it is physically possible for your engine to turn few RPMs because a hole is opened up in front of the air filter. Wouldn't your RPMs remain the same at a certain speed no matter how much extra horse power you gain? I would think the only way to lower RPMs would be to regear. Can someone help me out here?

 

I think what Arrik meant to say was "the throttle position is less for the same speed."

As Dr Z will corraborate, the hot air from the engine is only temporary, once the vehicle begins moving, the AIT drops. Besides, you are on the right track of thinking. That's why some feel the "elbow" mod is just as beneficial. I personally like the sound of the deckplate, so I have both. I think the reduction in gas mileage is a result of a heavy foot to hear the sound. For me anyway.

 

after one tank of gas , mine milage has dropped 1 mpg , but that could be due to a heavy foot to hear the greatness of it , im still keeping track .

as far as the rpm's go , before the mod i was running 3000 rpms at 70 mph, now after the mod 2800 rpms at 70 mph .
my thought on this is that with better air flow , the engine doesnt have to work as hard ,thus less rpms , to acheaive same speed.
i may be wrong but thats what im seeing .

a 6 inch deckplate definitly wouldnt fit on my 96 t-100, the 4 inch barely fit . and with out any exhaust work( as of yet) i see no advantage of a 6 over a 4 .

i still havent cleaned my k and n filter so i may get even better milage if i ever cleaned it . its been 4 years and all ive done is knocked out the dust . i will probably have to clean it more often with the deckplate mod . ill jsut be sure to not over oil it and let it dry before reinstalling it .

airrikk17

 

A 6in will fit on a 96 3.4, click on my sig. As for a big gain in HP, I was kidding.

Its impossible to drop rpms without gearing changes, from what I understand anyway.

 

hopin to do mine this summer

 

I agreed with you all about not being possible to lower RPM's at a given speed without re-gearing. But then as I was pondering it....

Drive on a given highway at 65mph on a calm day. Then do that same drive with a 20mph headwind. Then 20mph tailwind. I am assuming your RPMs would change, just as if they would change if you were hauling a trailer. I am starting to think that freeing up a restrictive air intake might just make a slight difference. Not sure though.

Later.

 

As for the headwind/tailwind scenario:

I think that would just change your throttle position. Unless of course, you went from 5th gear to 4th gear.

I am still going to stay with my original statement, I think re-gearing is required to change RPM's at the exact same speed, no matter what power enhancing mods you have. Where are all the dang engineers today?

 

<-------In class!

 

I am pretty sure that to maintain a constant speed your have to maintain a certain number of revolutions. It may take more throttle or less throttle, but rpms x gear ratio = speed. In NASCAR, they gauge their pit road speed by their rpms because they don't have a speedometer.

I am still on the fence with this idea of cutting a hole. I thought that unless your had a super charger or turbo that your intake was passive. In other words, your engine would take only the air that it needs, regardless of how much air your made available.

 

Hmmmm. I think I am back on board with ya! I was confusing the throttle position issue. Anyone... Anyone... Beuller?

 

Exactly. But, what if not enough air was available to suit your engines needs to begin with? Or, what if by adding more air to the engine, you found a gain in HP? In order to keep things "quiet" manufacturers are willing to sacrifice some ponies to please the public by placing restrictive devices (often functional, stock snorkels, etc) on the intake track. This saps a bit of the available HP. So, we step in and restore it, while sounding cool in the process. Now, in the case of the SC, they get a bit too much air and the fuel supply cant keep up, causing pinging with the deckplate open.

The dyno doesnt lie. This mod works. More air+more fuel (in the right combination) = more power.

 

I'm a newbie to this forum and saw the speculations regarding being able to obtain speed at a lower RPM without regearing. You can indeed do this. In the case of an automatic transmission, power is transferred through liquid torque converter. Depending on many factors (wind, uphill, etc.) it may require more torque to maintain a speed. Your engine will have to work at a higher RPM to maintain the torque needed to maintain a given speed. This all seems in accordance with what I learned in Dynamics at college. I'm not exactly sure how it would work with manual transmission, but I believe it would still hold true.

Joel

 

I have a quick question.. With a K&N air filter and the deck plate mod.,do you worry about moisture from rain getting in the air system while you are like driving the interstate? I have removed the fender hose to the air box and noticed a little difference. But when the deck plate is installed, wouldn't it be better to have cooler air rather than the heated air from your engine compartment?

 

No moisture problems here. Nor have a I heard of any. The only time I put my deckplate in, is when I am off-roading for fear of too much dirt inhalation, and possible water getting in. I also use a foam sponge (cut in half) and wedge it in where the elbow mod is, that seems to keep out excess dirt while off-roading too.

Moisture is not an issue with the deckplate.