Beer Engine Refurb Question

[Huntelaar]

Hi, I recently got a bargain in the form os a 1/2 Pint pull Worthside Beer Engine off Ebay for £1.27! I collected it and although it seems to pull no problem, I thought as it was so cheap i'd just replace all the seals as a matter of course. I purchased a new cork shaft seal kit from Worthside like this: http://81.137.247.85/EWLlive/catalogue/ ... e=AE100600 . It has now arrived and the cork seems to be in some sort of grease. I would like to know if this grease is just to stop it from drying out during storage/transit and therefore should be fully cleaned off or is it integral to the seal and should be left on?

Any help from anyone who's had this before would be much appeciated.