That's probably what he mean's... Going to manual steering??? with a power link will be loose as a goose!!!!!!Is this a P/S center link?
Maybe your stud was too small!!!I knew a girl in college that had some slop in her centerlink. she was so loose I went to a manual conversion.
As other's have said before it has to have movement or you will not have assist power steering. It has to move to direct the fluid valving in the control valve . There is a ball stud with concave disc's on each side with a spring to keep tension on the ball stud .I can watch the stud move as the wheel turns maybe 1/16 turn before the centerlink moves.