lbs_ft

So I've been losing P/S fluid (A/T fluid, but I'll refer to it from here on out as P/S fluid) slowly but surely for a while now, but it's hot as hell out, so I took my time looking for the culprit.

After doing some investigating one evening, I realized that the driver's side rack and pinion boot was ripped. Passenger side is perfectly fine but the driver's side is in 2 distinct pieces. I know that if it gets to the point where it leaks P/S fluid from the boot, you need to replace either a seal or the whole rack and pinion, but - again - it's hotter than you can imagine and crawling around under a flaming hot car on the baking hot asphalt is not something I want to do if I can avoid it.

BUT - it's been a week since I noticed the initial leak, and it wasn't that bad then, and that leak is literally blasting the asphalt with piss (fluid) now, especially on tight right turns. You can see where I turn into my parking spot everyday because of the P/S stains. I go through about a quart a week, no joke. What in God's name did I do to deserve this?

Bought a replacement boot, but I'm pretty sure if I just toss this boot on, it won't magically hermetically seal the rack and pinion and stop the leak like woah. I mean, its a rubber boot and a ziptie.

Do I need to replace a bushing or scrap the whole thing and replace it at this point?

And here's the million dollar question:

What would happen if I didn't?
What would happen if I tossed this new boot on and called it a day?
Any detrimental effects of not replacing the rack/bushing?

I was planning on swapping in a HICAS rack in the winter, think I can make it till then?

I can answer any and all questions to the best of my abilities. And to clarify, I'm not a newbie moron jackass special-needs time bomb, I'm just wondering, so keep your opinion of me to yourself. If need be, I can replace the bushing or the whole rack, I just really don't want to yet. So what would happen if I didn't? Because I really can justify spending the money for P/S fluid until winter if it means I don't have to die from heat exhaustion.

Thanks in advance!