How much grease are you packing in there, just enough to wet the bore or are you filling the whole gap under the sleeve? The reason I ask is I tried the grease deal once and it worked fine on a cold block but I always wondered what happens on a hot motor in August when that stuff thins out and runs. Seems like the o-ring has to hold either way, so maybe the real trick is just keeping it from grabbing on the way down.

My buddy did the exact same thing at a coffee shop near his place, handed the owner a note signed by like five regulars and got a little wooden ramp built in a week. Worth trying at the library for sure, just get a few more names on your letter first.

Honestly that's a pretty classic 1950s move. I read somewhere that back then people would stuff anything into gaps to stop drafts, old clothes and newspapers were basically the cheap version of spray foam. Bet you're gonna find a few more surprises the deeper you go lol.