So I thought I just needed a new height adjustment lever, but after tinkering a bit, I see the lever is just fine.  I followed the cable that the lever is attached to, and it goes to a cylinder that presumably adjusts the height of the seat.  I put the channel lock on the end, pushed and pulled a bit, and can't get it to engage.  
Anyone else have this fail on them before?  Looks like the prior owner pulled on the lever a bit hard, and broke a spring that resets the lever, but otherwise, I think everything else under the seat is intact.
Any other way you can think of to engage that cylinder?  I'd really like to drop that seat just a bit...