Haven't done a sleeve on a pop top but removed the 'tent' on a camper trailer for repair and replaced it. Should be similar. When I did it I squirted KY Jelly (!!) into the grooves to allow the bolt rope to slide easily through.
Now of course I would just buy a can of silicone spray and squirt it into all the track grooves. I did that when I replaced the awning on our current van.
Other than that it is a two person job - one to feed the sleeve into the tracks and one to pull it through. Be careful standing the ladders.
