The evaporator, also called the accumulator-drier, is one of three major components than make up an air conditioning system, including one in a car. The evaporator can be removed and replaced separately and is one of the simpler engine components to remove in the 2002 Taurus' engine. You are still, however, working on an air conditioning system that is under a lot of pressure, so you must use caution.
Take the car to an automotive air conditioning shop or the Ford dealer's service department and have the air conditioning system discharged by a technician.
Unbolt the coolant expansion tank with a wrench and disconnect its upper hoses, then move the tank out of the way. Unbolt and remove the anti-roll arm located near the tank along with its mounting bracket.
Disconnect the electrical connector located on top of the evaporator.
Disconnect the evaporator's inlet and outlet lines; remove their metal clips, use a spring-lock coupling tool to compress the line's connection. Push this tool towards the garter spring and pull the lines in opposite directions to separate them.
Cap the disconnected lines with a 3/4-inch coupling tool on the evaporator end and a 5/8-inch tool at the drier line.
Remove the mounting nut on the evaporator's mounting bracket with a wrench and then slide the evaporator up and out of its bracket.
Drain the refrigerant oil out of the evaporator into a graduated container to measure how much was in the evaporator.
Add fresh refrigerant oil to the replacement evaporator; use the measured amount plus two ounces, but don't use more than seven ounces.
Mount the evaporator in place on the mounting bracket. Tighten the mounting nut loosely but not all the way.
Connect the inlet and outlet lines to the evaporator; lubricate the O-rings on the connections with fresh refrigerant oil. Tighten the nut on the mounting bracket and connect the electrical connector to the evaporator.
Re-install the coolant tank and the anti-roll arm using their mounting bolts and the tank's upper hoses.
Return the car to the shop and have its AC system evacuated and recharged.
