[bobcowan]

The split boots don't work that will, and will almost certainly leak. The loss of a little grease is no big deal. But it allows water and dirt to get in to the joint; and that's a bad thing.

If you have a small tear, use the split boot to cover that up. and seal the hole. It makes for a good temporary fix until you can do it right.

I had a tear in one of mine a while back. I cleaned it well, and then wrapped it in duct tape. Then secured it with zip ties. That lasted through a race week end and then a road trip without leaking any grease. When I had time, I installed a new boot.