YOU WILL NEED TO REMOVE THE SLEEVE FIRST ..oops caps lock..oh well...anyway remove the sleeve and then there will be enough movement in the piston to pull the rod off the crank pin backwards (make sure the crank is as far forward as it will go) removing the sleeve will be easy peasy or a complete bastard..You can slip a cable tie into the sleeve and out the exhaust port then turn the crank and the sleeve will pop up with the piston (easier if you leave the flywheel on till the rod/piston is removed) if it cuts the cable tie instead you might need to gently tap the bottom of the sleeve from the rear cover side with a WOODEN dowel..be careful its easy to mark and damage the sleeve.The play in the new type rods in the MG66 is pretty much nil so I've found them to be a really tight fit to remove and worse to refit a new one ..just be patient and don't force or hit it.I also rub a TINY amount of a special copper/aluminium paste I have for ultra high temp stuff like exhaust fittings around the sleeve when my engines are new and my sleeves always come out easy.

Oh and grizz1 yes I think I got it the wrong way round..was pretty stoned writing that the other night..and now I'm confused and not sure either way.