Well, the old sleeve was pretty nasty and I expect it had some leakage past the gouges from damage done long ago..I finally got around to replacing it.

The new group appears to have a flare at the top, which eases insertion of the piston.



The old sleeve was stuck in pretty good....how to get it free?
I removed the old group gasket with a drywall screw, but the sleeve was stuck fast.
I laid a piece of wood across the top of the group and used a bar clamp (squeeze action) to try to push up on the bottom of the sleeve. To give a good surface to push against, I found an old 68mm grinder burr which fit perfectly. After getting the sleeve up as far as I could, it still wasn't enough.

The problem is that there just isn't anything to grab onto.

I found a crummy old tamper -



this tamper fits perfectly within the sleeve, giving a nice flat surface to push on - it doesn't hit the sides of the group, and it lets one push right on the sleeve end.



Now I had something I could get my thumbs under and was able to get the sleeve out.

With a new sleeve and new piston seals, this lever is smooth as silk.

Now I just need a new spring :-/

What a world of difference! It looks great. How bad is the old spring? If it is dropping bits of rust then replacing it sooner than later is a good idea. I've been waiting on my second group because the second spring is more rust than good metal.... It would suck if it did any harm to the new sleeve. I know that Cafe Parts has the spring and you could probably have it before Christmas if you order or soon.

Great job!