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Marv,  you concluded:

<It would have been much easier if Lancair had said "the cylinder should
bottom out when the gear is extended and the stop sleeve should be setup as
the gear up stop....>

You are absolutely correct.  Let me reinforce your conclusion by reviewing the
following:

1.  The cylinder must bottom out on extension.  Not because of pressure on the
over center link, but because the actuating push rod can be bent. The first
round of manuals (circa 1989) did not contain the "extend to bottom out"
admonition.  Mine had about 1/4 inch of push remaining.  In the case of any
side load (I never figured out how or when), that remaining push will bend the
push rod.  On a flight where I did a test of the emergency extension
procedure, I could not get the left main to lock down until I re-applied
hydraulic pressure (I think the rod was slightly bent at this time).
Inspection before my next flight revealed the push rod was significantly bent
(I had to check it twice because I thought is just looked that way since I
have astigmatism) and this could have resulted in one gear leg jammed
partially up.  Or partially down, whichever is worse.

2. The up stop is important so the wheel is not drawn thru the top of the wing
or crushes the inboard gear door control valve.  The cylinder need not bottom
out in this circumstance.  However, I too saw the need for a longer stop after
adjusting it to bottom out on the down stroke.  Also, my new Wolstenholm
actuators were the same, but slightly different since the stop plate was
recessed further than the original Matcos.  I had longer stops made since I
didn't like the possibility of the washers sliding up or down the push rod and
jamming against the overcenter wing attach point which would result in a bent
push rod, etc. etc.

Scott Krueger
N92EX