OK4450 hit it right on the head…AS USUAL…Damn he’s sharp…
YEAH MAN…your mechanic should have replaced that dust boot when he saw it…It would have saved you the cost of a VERY EXPENSIVE Rack and pinion Job…and the dust boot costs like 10 bucks… All he had to do was detatch your outer tie rod end and slip the old boot off and the new one on… Would have taken less than an hour. WTF…why did he let you RUIN your Rack? Thats REALLY LAX BEHAVIOR… SHameful really.
Yes stop leak works a little bit…but its for old racks that have dried up or hardened seals… It acts like Brake Fluid would if you put it in the PS resevoir…Brake Fluid will re-elmusify the hardened rubber seals…It makes them “Swell” also…this stops the leak …usually temporarily. So there you have it… Your “mechanic” sat Idly by and watched you destroy an expensive part of your steering system.
No you will not lose your ability to steer your vehicle…YOu may lose POWER steering, but not the ability to steer… It just wont be power assisted, but will function just fine…just need more effort to turn