When I mounted cable stops to the bosses on my '84 Trek 760 last week, I noticed that one of them completely covered the boss down to the frame, and the other one left the base of the boss peeking out. I'd be quite surprised if the boss was removed from yours. I really don't see how the lever would be mounted without one. I've also come across bikes with Shimano levers on them, and they always seem to have neat fittings that cover all the way down to the tube.