Thanks for the reply -- you are quite correct regarding the fact that a pickle fork-type ball-joint separator tool will ALWAYS tear up the boot -- I just decided to try and finess the separation and CAREFULLY insert the pickle-fork UNDERNEATH the dust boot -- alas, it STILL tore the boot. Ideally, I would have used a C-clamp type ball-joint separator tool -- which I did not own, nor have access to this afternoon.
That's the bad news. The GOOD news is that NAPA has a ball-joint dust boot that fits perfectly over the top of the torn dust boot (one could remove the torn dust boot, but not necessary) -- just packed the NAPA boot full of synthetic grease, stuck it over the old ball-joint dust boot, and tightened the ball-joint up. Seals tight -- we'll see how long the rubber replacement lasts before it starts to shred/fall apart.
NAPA lower ball-joint dust boot part number - 650-1178, cost ~$3.50 -- labeled as a tie-rod dust boot, but large enough to fit the T-Bird/Cougar lower ball joint snugly.
Cammer