Steering Linkage Dust Seals

[wandrews]

I was lubing the grease fitting where the pittman arm (Sector shaft arm per the Ford manual) connects to the drag link and the rubber seal let go. The steering is working OK and there is no apparent damage or play in any of the joints. A few questions:

How soon should I fix this? What's the risk of ruining the joint if it takes me 2-3 weeks to get around to doing the repair?

If all the linkages and joints are OK, can just the seal be replaced ? The Ford manual mentions replacing the dust seal if its damaged, but there is no part number or procedure other than that for R&R of the drag link.

The Ford manual shows a special tool for seperating the pittman arm and drag link. It looks like a gear puller expect it pushes the end of the drag link out of the pittman arm. Can this be done with a regular tire rod separator bar? Is it likely to damage anything using a tie rod seperator?

[fordsforever73]

I just bought a set of Energy (brand name) tie rod seals from local auto parts store. Haven't put them in yet, as I'm not driving truck. you can use a tie rod separator to remove the link. But in my experience, I use a big brass hammer to hit the "female" part once the fork is in place with some pressure on it. You should only use a fork if you are replacing the seal, as it will get damaged.