are you moving the hole thing the pump and intake?

A ride plate is a flat aluminum plate below the pump and extending behind the hull/transom. I think Beerjet's pics has a good shot of one. A ride plate is just that, a plate that the boat rides on. A shoe is directly in front of the ride plate to help force the water into the pump. With a shoe and a ride plate there's less boat in the water making it faster.

the pump I am removing from my pickle has a custom grate and the pump has been polished inside with a b/c ss impeller had a bronze but it exploded so the new hull I got has no ride plate where my other had one. so I was trying to decide what the pros and cons are to having the ride plate?

Pickup the current HOTBOAT magazine, it has a pump article that may help.  TIMINATOR

After reading this thread again I remembered a friend that installed a ride plate onto a Hawaiian with a Jacuzzi YJ and lost most of reverse thrust due to the flow of water hitting on the ride plate.  oops 

I guess that would fall under the "con" catagory. 

-beerjet-

i got a ride plate on mine and its adjustable , total stroke is about 1/2 inch, seems to work on my boat, i gotta check out that reverse thing, didnt think i had a problem....