Was wondering if anyone has tried this?
I heard you can install the treadable plastic marine floor plugs in the silent thunder exhaust platform and install or remove them as you like for loud or quiet exhaust noise?
Where do you put them? Do they work? Will water come back in through the openings when they are open??
I just picked-up a 1999 Fastech 271 w/502, and looking to help it out. I like the sound of open exhaust, but when you have the family out, it's nice to have it a little quieter.
Thanks in advance for any input.

It certainly should work. The guy that owned my Formula before me punched 4" holes in the ends and the center of mine and it makes it quite a bit louder than stock. Since we have a push for noise going on here in MD I have been thinking about plugging 2 just to see if it will quiet a little. Anything that allows more water to drain down will make it louder, the deck plates are a good idea I think.

I took my silent thunder off and installed Teaque 450 switchable exhaust tips. Flip a switch and muffeled and back awsome sound. Easy to do... Swirtch is elec.. You can see and hear it on this formula site.. under I just love formulas.
Silent Lucidity,

Remove the silent thunder (takes 5 minutes) and install clamp on mufflers on the tips. Shotgun mufflers by Drew marine work great and sound nice. Not loud, but not super quiet. Jeff Wurl

I had a 1988 242SS with a 502cui 630 hp of which I put two 4-inch deck covers where the normal 1-inch drain holes were. The nice thing about this set up is that when you are idling, the holes are in the water and when you get on plane, they are above the water. This set up is much quieter than having open tips or mufflers with no backpressure. The boat had a great sound and no tickets. Worked great and all my friends liked the rumble sound it made.

On the older Silent Thunder platforms like mine, the large deck plate cut-outs work well. But, I don't think it would work so well on your newer style. The newer style is just a whimpy panel under the molded platform. I don't think it's beefy enough to support cutting holes in it. The older platfroms are seriously heavy-duty. The new ones rattle as it is - without holes in them. That's one of the reasons everyone tosses them for mufflers. Formula doesn't even make Silent Thunder anymore I don't think.