When my cylinder let go, the seat wouldn't stay down, not up. The locking mechanism may just be stuck somehow. These things are a PITA to get at and work on. Compare the broken one to the one that works to see what if anything looks different.

Here's the latest contact info form PL Porter as of 12/17/04:
Hello Cass,
Please provide the PL Porter part number. The part number is located on the unit. This information is required, before I can provide you with any further assistance. If you are unable to locate the part number. Please contact the seat maker.

Michele Simmons
CRANE Aerospace & Electronics
PL Porter Controls, Inc.
Sales Administrator
Direct # 818-313-6080
Direct Fax # 818-610-1812
Email: [email protected] (new email address)

Normally on the seat cylinders its an LL number, repairable Hydrolok. They were great with me. I overnighted it from my shop and had it back by the weekend. Let me know if I can help in any way...Rob

My passenger seat started doing the 6" drop this summer. How do you get these things out of the seat ??? I took the bolt out of the front and it seemed like the cylinder was just threaded into the back. But after several turns it just seems to spin but nothing happens.

Chec k the Porter website--there are pcitures of the cylinder and the activator. Usually its the button and associated assembly--it sticks and doesn't full;y engage. The spring behind the buttin gets fouled up.

I wouldn't try and disasemble it--rarley necessary..

I didn't want to take it apart - I just want to remove the whole thing from the seat frame so I can inspect it without laying on my back on the floor. My button and cable are both clean and move freely - it seems to be a problem with the total travel of the cylinder.

On my boat it's easier to remove the seat for what you're trying to do. The cylinder on mine got some corrosion on it and I just gave multiple douches with Bioshield corrsion stuff and got cylinder freed up. The pictue on the porter site will give you flavor for how sophisticated the thing is.

amazingly enough, these are cylinders for airplane seats, they just used them on boats. Mine was sent out, it cost me about 100 bucks and they had it back to me by the weekend. they will give it a 2 year warranty as well...rob

I guess that was a wasteful post, huh

But ... the million dollar question ... how do you get it out of the seat ???