Why do you have burrs on the teeth? Mine didn't at something like 260k miles, and that was with abuse from the previous owner running with a badly leaking pump and gear.
Also, what do you mean by meshing flush?
As for binding, the teeth are designed so that they mesh more tightly near the...
That sounds like a really bad idea. They're probably hardened surfaces, too, so if you manage to cut into them they'll subsequently wear out quickly.
After rebuilding my steering gear, I adjusted the screw *while moving the steering column shaft back and forth* using Vise Grips near the...