Are you supposed to be able to push in and pull out the Idle Air Control motor'* shaft by hand?
I'm asking because I'm able to move it manually on my old valve but not on the newer valve.

Thanks.

Doesn't sound right to me. I have mine off, and will check it within a couple hours.

I never pushed real hard, but mine didn't move by hand.

It shouldn't be able to be pushed in.

The pintle shaft is held while the shaft of the motor turns around it, being that they're threaded that'* how it moves it in and out.

Yes I did have to use a hammer to figure that out.

Yes, it was worth $20.

Really? I've messed around with a spare. It'* stiff but moves. If you pull it all the way out, it won't go back in if you turn it at all and don't get it back into position. Or should it stay locked in the out position when you put it in? Or did I bust the stupid thing?

yours is weird...?

John, yours is female. It does the unexpected at the worst possible time. Buy a male IAC. The part number is one digit better than the female.

Only 1 digit Bill

I read somewhere about being careful to note the IAC pintle position before removing one to be replaced, and manually moving the new one to the same position before installation.

My older IAC valve can be pushed-in or pulled-out; it takes some force, but it does move by hand. When I apply the same force to the newer one, it doesn't move at all.
I suspect that both of mine are ok, but I guess the real test would be to have one installed but disconnected and have another external one connected and turn the key to the ON position and see if the pintle on the connected one moves.

...It'* too bad that none of the typical scan tools can tell the ECM to test this kind of stuff like I've read that a Tech 1 can do...all of the common scan tools are only capable of reading and clearing codes and reading measured data.