Apart form a visual inspection of a steering worm for pitting and such like, is there any other way to check a steering worm to see if its usable other than suck it see?
"suck it and see" seems to be a British thing, loosely akin to..."try something and see how you like it", .......I think! DD
If it's still in the steering box, the best way is center it up (mid travel with steering wheel centered) then adjust the play out as much as possible between sector and worm. Rotate it a bit and feel for rough spots. If play can be eleminated in the centered position and the steering wheel moves smoothly then the worm & sector are good.