1.7:1 Rocker Arms For the 3.0 Vulcan
From Taurus Car Club Maintenance and Modification Wiki
Higher ratio rocker arms act like a more agressive cam by opening the valves more.
This install was with Fred's (Fredness) kit, which includes twelve rockers, thirteen adjusters, twelve studs, twelve guide plates, the spare nut, and high strength threadlock, along with the Crane Cams sticker. The aftermarket rocker arms are also more efficient, quieter, and create less heat.
You will need:
A torque wrench, 5/16-18 tap, 5/8 deep, 11/16, 1/2 deep 10mm, 8mm deep, 13mm, 7mm socket, 5/8, 11/16 wrenches, also a hex key/allen wrench set, RTV sealant, high strenght threadlock, and medium or penetrating threadlock
You may also need a new upper intake gasket and new valve cover gaskets, depending on the condition of your originals.
The first step is to remove the upper intake and valve covers. This is pretty simple, and can be found in any repair manual, but a few things can simplify the process. My Haynes manual said to relieve fuel pressure and drain the cooling system, but both of these steps are unnecessary. Instead of draining the cooling system, you can simply unscrew the two 10mm bolts that hold the coolant tube to the bottom of the upper intake, and let it lay across the lower intake.
The EGR can also be troublesome. You have to unscrew the large nut where the the tube meets the upper intake, and then use a large or adjustible wrench (the nut is over 20mm, I believe) to turn the nut at the bottom of the tube to move it out of the way. Once you have the valve covers off, remove the rockers simply by undoing the 10mm bolt in the middle of each, but make sure to hold the pushrod so it doesn't fall down into the lifter galley.
Now it's time to tap the bolt holes. You have to use a taller, screw type handle, as the normal T-handle is too long to turn with the main sensor wire harness in the way. Turn the tap gently, making sure that it catches the existing 8mm threads. 8mm and 5/16 are almost equal, so all you're really doing is trimming the threads so the new studs can go in place. Once all twelve holes are tapped, thread the nut included in the kit (if you strip it like I did, get a 7/16 replacement from the local hardware store) all the way down the rocker side of the stud and then thread the spare adjusting nut onto the stud, making sure they're snug against each other. Then apply a thin stripe of the high strength threadlock onto the head side of the stud and place a guide plate on the pedastal, then run the stud into the head by hand. The use your 5/8 deep socket and torque wrench to torque the stud to 25ft-lbs. You can use the 5/8 socket and 11/16 wrench to remove the adjuster and spare nut. It's absolutely imperitive that the stud not turn when you remove the adjuster and nut, or you will have to retorque it.
Repeat this process for all twelve studs, and then get out the rockers and adjusters. Dip the pushrods in oil and then slide them down onto the lifters, making sure they are well seated in the lifter cup. Then place a rocker on each stud and just barely thread the adjuster on after it. Take the set screws out of the adjusters, so they don't get in the way when you adjust the rockers.
Now comes the fun part! Pull off the front passenger wheel and remove the fender cover. You can now see your crank pulley, and turn it from the nut in the center. You can turn it using a socket and breaker, but I found that the 21mm side of my four-way lug wrench worked just fine, also the nut is actually 20mm. Find the TDC markings on your crank damper, then measure the circumference of the damper from that point and divide it by three, since you will be need to make 120 degree, or 1/3 turns and mark it at each interval (mine was 18 inches, so a mark every six inches). You will have to find TDC for each cylinder. This will occur at the TDC mark on your damper and the other two marks you made, since the crank completes a revolution for every three cylinders firing. You can verify TDC by watching the pushrods for the cylinder as you approach the mark on the damper. They shouldn't move within about 1/4 a turn in either direction.
Note: If you do the 1/4 turn counterclockwise to check, you MUST turn the crank 2 full turns clockwise to return to this position and remove the timing chain slack. If the 1/4 turn check fails (valves open), turn the crank 1 full turn to get to the real TDC. These methods are for the 1995-present that have the EEV-V ignition as there is no distributor, the previous years, simply remove the distributor cap and rotate the engine until the rotor points to the post corresponding with the #1 cylinder on the cap.
When you get to TDC for cylinder one, run the adjuster down by hand, and spin the pushrod at the same time. When you can feel friction against the turning pushrod, stop, and use your 5/8 socket to turn the adjuster down one more whole turn. This sets the hydraulic lifter preload at .041" (limits are .030" to .060"). Do this for both rockers for that cylinder. You'll follow the firing order with your marks, so you'll adjust cylinder one, go to the next mark and adjust cylinder four, go to the next mark...you the pattern goes 1-4-2-5-3-6.
As you adjust the rockers, check the the ones you have already adjusted for vertical movment. You should not be able to push them down or pull them up, but some side to side movement is ok, and can even be taken as insurance they are not too tight. This took me several tries, and I would reccomend you take a few shot before you finalize so you can get a good feel for it and can know you've done it right. You can either apply the medium strength threadlock now, as you run each adjuster down, or you can use the penetrating type once you have all of it adjusted to your satisfaction. Once you have them properly adjusted and threadlocked, you can go ahead and put everything back together. Before you put that valve covers on, pour about 1/4 quart of fresh oil over the rockers, and let some pool in the center so they're well lubed. Use the RTV where the heads meet the lower intake under the valve cover gasket to ensure a good seal. If you try to start the car after you get it put back together, and all it does is spin the crank, then there's a good chance you tightened the adjusters too much, forcing the valves open and causing the engine to loose compression.
Make sure you let the threadlock set up! I had one of my rockers come loose on the highway and start whacking the inside of the valve covers because I didn't threadlock them at first. It sounds like your engine is making popcorn, and will make you a very sad panda. The rockers gave me a nice little boost in acceleration, and a much quieter valvetrain and smoother idle, and I hope you can enjoy them too.
