Yeah, it was exposed to gas for less than 24 hrs. Rubber doesn't feel gooey necessarily, and once it dried out it regained its original shape. Very weird. There's only one way for it to fit in the bowl, and like i said, it doesn't move enough to have "ripped" so it must have just been a bad one. Hopefully the replacement doesn't have the same defect.
About the nozzles: Spanner1 turned me on to the fact that you can press them out. I used adjustable pliers with some electrical tape on the jaws to keep from marring anything. The jets press out, as do the brass bungs, and you can clean them and press them back in with a punch. Make sure the passageways line up upon reassembly! You'll see what I mean when you get it all apart.
And yes, I'm going to double-check the check valve to make sure it's working correctly.