So I had the hissing in the center console and couldn't change airflow from defrost to the center vents. I did a search here, found the info on the Vacuum Selector Valve, took the center stack apart and sure as heck that thing was leaking. I'm a service manager for an independent repair shop, so I asked the parts manager to call the Chevy dealer and find one. They told him it is no longer available, but a local AC Delco parts vendor had one in stock.

I plugged the valve in and it leaks worse than the one I took out .

The case halves (between the dial and the body) leak like crazy when the thing is plugged in. Anyone else run into a NIB bad valve? I feel like I did it wrong or am just super unlucky. We'll try and find another one, but is there some kind of other fix for this?

 

Welp, I figured it out on my own. I took the original one apart to see what makes it tick. Then I checked out the defective one and it was fairly apparent...evidently the tabs at the end of the center pin were both cracked and broken so it wasn't a tight fit between the two case halves.

I hate that crap, when some ***** breaks a part and then returns it to the parts supplier without telling them its broken. Then I get to reap the benefits of that same *****'s dishonesty when they re-sell it to me. It's only 15 bucks, but its nice of them to take it back. Hopefully it doesn't end up back on the shelf!

 

Another reason I swaped my 85 non AC setup in my car so I only have to rely on cables if they dont break LOL

 

I thought that kind of stuff only happened to me.