As it goes, the condition of the other seals became kind of a joke here. I've been in "Clark Lake" for a month or so, learned a bunch, been beaten up, etc. If the seal that shattered like glass when I tapped it out is an indicator of what the other seals look like... maybe we have a day... maybe we have a year. It was a few minutes. The next upside seal is leaking, most likely from all the twisting and banging around to replace the upper seal. It's not a geyser, but I'll have to replace all the seals which is fine. Since I've had a fresh look at actually how the mast lifts and what's involved, much easier. Unfortunately my pals within range don't have triple lifts to extend this thing all the way. Again, clever chaining etc can get the cylinder out and or the whole mast for service. I do have the ceiling height to play around with and a couple of pals with lifts. All is good, the seal part is no problem, its just rigging everything up to remove or support heavy components that is the trick.
The most confusing thing of all of this is that after having this lift for 15 years I never actually looked at how the mast works. Today after lifting it there were several "Ah ha" moments. I've always looked at the load and never at the mast action and components. Don't remove hex or 12pt bolts from "C". Alignment is a pain.

I will add, I had a high beam (35"), a come-a-long, various chains and straps to help with lifting and aligning the mast sections and or extending the cylinder during this. I did not need to really do any of this just to replace the top cylinder seal, I was preparing to remove the entire cylinder. With another lift and knowledge of how the mast sections move I could have lifted the mast sections so "D", the actual forklift frame attachment and "C" the final moving part were separated. Under "C"are the nuts for the side bolts in little pockets cast into "D". there appears to be a circular plate in the pocket of "D", which I have not tried to get at, or see if under this plate are any of the bolts that hold the manifold to the innermost and thinnest ram in the hydraulic cylinder. "E" is not the innermost cylinder there is another one inside that one that lifts "C". The dealer had the diagrams and will print them for me if I like.
Steve