Keith & Barry -- Thank you both; excellent advice, as usual.
Brent -- I'll degree it just to make sure. I'm betting it will be off -- everything I buy for that car is, but that's half the fun...
Rick -- I'm not about to rebuild that POS dampner.
But thank you for the thought.
BTW, for what its worth, in Steve Christ's book (page 137) he says to put the dampner on by whacking it with a hammer and that it can be pulled on by installing the center bolt. For decades I've done it that same way, but, WTF, I'll go ahead and take the advice of all of you and pull it and install it with the special tool. I need another tool anyway.... (My Haynes Techbook Ford Engine Overhaul Manual does say to use the special tool, though.)