Inner Tie Rod change on a power steering rack

[tonbra]

Hello-
I have an 88 Cabriolet (with an 82 Rabbit diesel engine in it- thus my connection to this great website) and I need to change the inner and outer tie rod ends. I read through my bently, and because it is a power steering rack, apparently to change the rods the whole steering gear has to come out. The job looks like a hassle and may be time consuming. Questions:

1) How hard is this job to do? The bently says you have to pop the exhaust off- something I really dont want to do.
2) It is a power steering rack but I have been running it manually for the past 2 years- no power steering on the car anymore. Will this be problem if the steering gear comes out to change the tie rods?

[joat]

there are special tools for the purpose. ( deep tube sockets )

measure and mark old inner and outer assy at joint/nuts.
remove the outer tie rods
remove the bellows boot ( rubber thing )
slip the "tube socket" over the inner one tie rod
loosen lock nut (inner socket joint)

assemble the old assy to the marks you made
assemble the new units and match / mark to the old assy.
dis assemble
install inner with locktite
install outer to marks