Interesting Deck Plate findings

So I did the deck plate mod the day I got the tacoma (about a year ago). Been running it ever sense. The other day I took my truck through the wash and put the plate back in before going through. Left and forgot to take it off. Next day I leave on a trip of about 5 hours of interstate driving. I noticed while getting on the interstate and while running, it feels like my truck is sluggish, almost like I'm towing a small trailer. Took the truck longer to get to 70mph, and seemed like it was struggling. Once at 70-75 it'd run there, but felt like it was harder for the truck to maintain that speed. Again, almost like I was pulling a small trailer. I stopped after about an hour at a rest stop, thinking the deck plate might have something to do with it. I took it out, then started her back up and off I went. Truck ran 70-75 much easier, and didn't have the same sluggish feeling.

Is the deck plate really that much better, or was my truck just used to the more air and the computer was a little confused? Or did I make this all up in my head and my butt dyno needs calibration?

 

It has been dynoed before on a 2.7 and shown to yield about a 5HP difference, so I'm sure your butt dyno wasn't all of it.

Personally, I believe the real power comes from taking the silencers off the intake. More noise= more power, right?

 

Maybe 5-6 hp, yes. What might be the issue is your ECU takes a while to adjust. Remeber, when doing the deckplate mod, you have to reset the ECU by disconnecting the battery.

 

Yea i'd bet the ecu was readjusting to the loss of air flow.

But in my experience I wouldn't ever really worry about water getting in with the deck plate off short of fording a river. I've washed my truck and drove in heavy rain (1-2"/hour and minor flooding on the streets) and at most there was a few drops of water around the deck plate but nothing in the airbox itself.

 

Yea, I figured the ECU was confused.
This was the first time I put it back it. I went through one of the automatic washers, and it had a bottom sprayer as well, figured I'd be safe instead of possibly sorry later. Then I forgot to take it out.

I'll probably just leave it off next time.

 

Deck plate mod or open air filter box lid is worth around 9-10whp on a 5vz equipped taco..... on a 2.7 should be worth a little less.