I know the Deck Plate Mod has been beaten to death by multiple posts, so let me apologize in advance. :deadhors:

I Mainly posted this so that the 2.7 guys can see some pics... I know that I would have liked some photos when I tackled this on my 2.7 which is why I snapped some in the process.

:flipoff1: That's for anyone that decides they want to burn me anyways.

 

I actually just did that to my 2.7 yesterday and I spent several hours searching everywhere for pictures and could not find any. I'm sure there will be those who appreciate your photos. I used a jig saw on mine...kept the saw lifted off the box so that the blade wouldn't hit the pipe inside the box though. Worked good...

 

Thanks for the pics, and I have a question.
After using the double sided tape, do you think it woulda been better/easier to just fill in the lows using the silicone?

 

I just used sensor safe silicone from NAPA and it sealed just fine

 

I don't see a problem with just using the silicone to fill the ridges. My thought process was that the double-sided tape would create a better seal in the event that the silicone gets old and weathered... But probably not necessary.

 

Thanks for the pics. I can't wait to do this.

 

just curious, i'm planing on doing this to my tacoma, how much did it cost?

 

got about 25 bucks tied up in mine including silicone

 

Plus the 50 dollar K&N filter you gotta get

 

The K&N is pretty much worthless... I'd say don't waste your money on a K&N and stick with your stock drop in filter.

 

Reguardless of your feeling on the K & N as a filter and whether or not it helps your fuel economy/horsepower.... whatever.

You have to appreciate that you spend a few extra dollars upfront and it will last you years with proper cleaning methods... that in itself makes it a worthwhile purchase.......to me anyway.... :2cents:

 

This says enough about K&N quality... http://home.stny.rr.com/jbplock/ISO5011/SPICER.htm I don't think I'll touch one again, but hey suit yourself.

 

What exactly is the purpose for the "deck plate mod" ?????

 

I've seen quite a bit of conversation on here about the DECK PLATE MOD. I'm a member of the WATTORA chapter. There's a write up on the WATTORA site about the 3.4 V6. For those 2.7 folks out there here are some pics I snapped when I did it for my 2.7 I4.
Here's the Deck Plate mod for the 4 banger for people out there wondering if it is doable and what the heck it would look like. I did it in about an hour... Pretty easy. I used a double sided rubber tape to help fill the ridges, and used sensor safe silicone around the edge. A dremel tool makes it an easy job but it can get kinda messy with all of the plastic flying around.

After doing this mod I am definitely a believer... You can feel noticeable gains..

Ok , I found the reason for the Deck Plate Mod . Why do you want more air /trash and other foreign objects into your engine? I like my Stock Air Intake the way it is . I plan to keep my Taco till the end and I am looking for longevity , not a drag racer. Slower may be bad , but reliablity is where it is at ! That is what Toyota is all about .
Dremel tool, 4" deck plate(my local boating/marine store...Also on ebay), sensor-safe silicone (auto parts store), and double sided rubber tape to help fill the ridges in the housing.(HOME DEPOT painting section).

Ok , I found the reason for the Deck Plate Mod . Why do you want more air /trash and other foreign objects into your engine? I like my Stock Air Intake the way it is . I plan to keep my Taco till the end and I am looking for longevity , not a drag racer. Slower may be bad , but reliablity is where it is at ! That is what Toyota is all about .

 

It still utilizes the stock filter, Just gives another entrance for air to enter the box.

 

ok i have a 2.7 liter and i really want to do this mod (mainly cause its cheap and i love doing stuff to my truck, and if i dont like it ill just screw the cap on) the only issue im looking at is that i have a snorkel hooked up. do you believe that the screw on cap gives a good enough seal to keep water out cause it will most likely see some?

 

Yes the cap will keep water out. These are deck plates (inspection plates) for watercraft made for that very purpose. If you've got a boat boneyard near where you live you can take one off of a decent junker and use it, but they'll only set you back about 10-15 bucks new. Just make sure you seal with silicone around the outer edge.

 

Well Finally got off my butt to do mine!!
I've noticed a little bit more pep and it does seem to hold speed better on the interstate. While this might not be for everybody It was definately worth it to me and was fun to do!!:thumbs:

 

lookin good.

 

I'm gearing up to do the deck plate mod on my 4 cyl. Did you insert/stuff the double-sided tape into the grooves or just silicone the grooves and lay double-sided tape over the silicone?

I found a 5" deck plate at an RV store but that was the only size they had. He only wants $10 for it. I'll be checking my local marine stores tomorrow.

 

I put the tape in the grooves but there really isn't any need for it... You could get by just fine with using silicone to seal it off once you get it installed.

 

Got it! So you used the tape to stuff and seal the grooves then sealed everything with silicone.

Thanks,

John

 

just did my deck plate the other day. took less than an hour not that hard. i just used silicone in the divots of tthe air box and works fine. i have a snorkel and once everything dried up i did the test to see if everything was sealed up correctly and when i pulled the top of the snorkel off and cupped my hand over it, it stalled my truck. notice my truck likes it better when the cap is off especially around town. only had $12 in the whole thing, 8 in the deck plate 3.50 in the silicone. its worth it if you like doing stuff to your truck.

 

I just ordered the deck plate from a local boat shop. It should be here by Saturday. I'll make sure to post pics too. I also just got a slightly used K&N air filter for $15 so I'll be installing that too.

 

FWIW...

Not to get all earth-hugger on you guys, but my wife if seriously into recycling and this made for a nice selling point so she would get on board with outfitting both of our Tacos with the reusable K&N's... we both bought our trucks new and went with the K&N right away partly to keep all of those paper throw-away filters every 3,000 miles out of the landfill.

Between our 2 Tacos we've got 93k (on the '03) plus 230k miles (on the '98)-- so that's 323,000 miles total. If my math is right, with an oil change every 3,000 we've saved 107 air filters by cleaning our K&Ns and reusing them. That adds up to a lot of savings on the cost of air filters as well.

Sure, there is a little cost in cleaner, filter oil, and the original price for the filter, but we inherited two full spray bottles of K&N filter oil from the old dirt biking days, and I am sure the cleaner and oil is cheaper than new throw away filters anyway. Unless you're just convinced that K&N makes drastically inferior products, it's almost a no-brainer to run one.

Oh, and if you think the K&N is letting a lot of grit and gunk get into my engine, I would argue that 230,000 miles on my '98 without a single engine problem proves that the filter works just fine. K&N makes sense to me. As to the deck plate mod, as long as you remember to put the plate back on before you run in rain, mud, etc. it looks good.

 

As to the deck plate mod, as long as you remember to put the plate back on before you run in rain, mud, etc.

Hey tree hugger.....Mud yes... Rain no..

 

I picked up the deck plate this morning from a local boat shop, Rodes Way Boats in Gelndora, CA. $8 but they had to order it which only took a day to get it. I'm headed outside right now and I'll be back in a while with pics.

 

It took me about 2.5 hours. I was taking my time cutting out the hole. I didn't want to rush and have it be so big that there would be nowhere to put the screws. Overall it was very easy. I got a little sloppy with the silicone and I probably put too much but I can cut out the excess if I feel like it later on.

I was being cautious cutting out a little at a time. As I got closer to the edges I used a different dremel fitting.

I used this fitting to do the majority of the cutting.

I used this fitting as I got close to the edges so I wouldn't cut too much. This is much more precise.

Ready for the deck plate.

Mucho silicone

All done

A little sloppy

I drove it around a few miles I and was definitely able to notice the difference. It didn't hesitate to lower gears when I punched it. I stayed in gear longer and overall it seems a little faster from the start. Overall the truck feels a lot looser, almost like it's able to breath, finally.

Thanks for all the help.

John

 

Mucho silicone!
I just may be inspired to do this tomorrow whilst I'm under the hood.

 

Ya, I got a little carried away. More is better, right?!

 

Sorry but who replaces their Air filter every 3k miles?
That is insane... maybe every 20k to 30K....

But yes a K&N works fine on these trucks... I see lower temps and better gas milage my self... But that is just me....

Deck plate mod coming soon...

 

anyone thought of using 3M 5200 in place of the silicone? its waterproof, a "lifetime" adhesive and it expands and fills the gaps while curing.