So I recently swapped out the spring for the Dejon replacement, and noticed something unexpected.

These two parts shown here -



- were stuck together. When I pulled the tan housing off, there was no push from the spring. I had to wiggle the black part a bit before the spring pushed it off. The spring is supposed to keep them apart, yes? So does this mean my valve could have been stuck open at times?

I've noticed the boost would spike, sometimes abnormally fast, and I would get occasional audible knocking during said spikes at ~3000-3500 rpm. Could that have been a cause?

I ask this because in the week since I've replaced this spring, the boost builds faster and smoother than before, and not a hint of knock. (basically like it used to before winter) I'm not too knowledgeable in this area, so if any of the experts could chime in, I would greatly appreciate it.