Ah yes, that does make more sense. I distinctly remember needing something cylindrical, but with a hole in the middle to use as a pushing tool. My memory of the whole incident is rusty now too.
Do you (or anyone) have any suggestions for the best way to clean the cylinder once I get the piston out? From memory it gets a bit tricky to get a toothbrush at the bottom. Maybe there's some fluid I could use? I know the manuals say not to use anything else but brake fluid (and definitely not mineral oils) - but I want those cylinders sparkling if I'm gonna go to all this trouble.
Also, any ideas on cleaning out the guide pin sockets? I'm sick of cleaning them out manually with a cotton bud, or rag and screwdriver - there's gotta be a better way. Right?