Vulcan V-6 Engine

• In 1998, Ford installed a 3.0-liter displaced V-6 as standard in its LX and SE trim level engines. Ford used its "Vulcan" V-6 as the basis for all the six-cylinder engines installed in this year's Taurus. The Vulcan engine consisted of an iron block with iron heads.
  
  This engine had a bore of 3.5 inches and a stroke of 3.14 inches, giving a compression ratio of 9-to-1. This engine featured a sequential electronic fuel injection with an overhead valve configuration and two valves per cylinder, for 12 valves total. The base V-6 generated 145 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 180 foot-pounds of torque at 3,650 rpm. Ford also offered this engine in its E85, or "Flex Fuel" configuration designed to run on a mixture of gasoline and ethanol.
  
  

Vulcan Upgrades

• Ford offered two reconfigured 3.0-liter V-6 engines as upgrades for the LX trim level. Both of these built were built on the Vulcan model of iron block and iron heads. The first upgrade maintained the same bore and stroke and a compression ratio of 9.1-to-1. It also used a multi-port fuel injection in an overhead valve configuration with two valves per cylinder. This engine produced 150 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 185 foot-pounds of torque at 3,750 rpm.
  
  Buyers of the LX and SE trim levels in 1998 could also choose a 3.0 V-6 with a bore of 3.5 inches and a stroke of 3.1 inches. This engine shared the same displacement as the LX standard Vulcan engine but had a compression ratio of 9.7-to-1. These changes increased the horsepower to 155 at 4,900 rpm while maintaining the same 185 foot-pounds of torque, but at a higher 3,950-rpm engine speed.
  
  

Duratec V-6 Engine

• In 1998, Ford offered its Duratec 3.0-liter engine as an upgrade for the SE and LX trim level Taurus. It consisted of an aluminum block and aluminum heads. This engine's bore and stroke measured 3.39 inches and a compression ratio of 9.4-to-1.
  
  Ford outfitted this engine with dual overhead cams and a multi-port fuel injection with four valves per cylinder, for 24 valves total. It cranked out 200 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 195 foot-pounds of torque at 4,700 rpm.
  
  

The 3.4 V-8 Engine

• The 1998 SHO models drew power from a 3.4-liter V-8, which Ford only made available in the SHO trim. This engine consisted of an aluminum block and heads with a bore that measured 3.24 inches and a 3.13-inch stroke and a compression ratio of 10-to-1. Ford equipped this engine with a sequential electronic fuel injection. It included a dual overhead cam configuration with four valves per cylinder, for 32 valves total. The SHO's V-8 cranked out 235 horsepower at 6,100 rpm and 230 foot-pounds of torque at 4,800 rpm.
  
  Ford only installed a four-speed automatic transmission in the 1998 SHO -- as opposed to earlier SHO models that offered a manual. The 1998 SHO earned 17 mpg during city driving and 25 mpg on the highways.