Cougar EGR vac switch buring up why?

The part of the switch that is burning up is connected to a heat resistant vacume line to the exhaust/manifold converter egr tube. There is no real heat source from the mounted position other than normal engine heat. I believe it is the exhaust gas doing the damage. But I was told that its made to take that much heat?

The Cat is 2 years old from magna flow. It flow nice I just had it off thinking it had a bad gasket. I was wondering which line goes to which of the two Vac ports. I guessed and put the manifold/cat erg tube line in the center portal. The other line to the far left/center of the engine portal. Then I plugged in the electrical plus. The other problem is the trans is shifting violently between shifts. It just slams the greas no soft shift. I replaced the pistion and spring that blew out 2 years agoand guessed which pistion it was since then it has always shifted a bit hard but now its banging hard. Sorry for being long winded. I think they might be related problems?

The vin ## in the car is 1ZWFT61L5X5619678 L is the eigth digit.

Well I looked at the Diagram and everything is hooked up correctly. I thought there might be a metal baffle or some sort of aresstor for those exhaust gasses. I see there is not. I used the special heat resistant hose from the manifold to the center fitting. I have no engine codes either. I have an actron to check that. I am lost now not knowing what do do because everything seems correct. A new converter/manifold unit is in excess of $950. So unless I know absoulutely for sure its bad I am not replacing it. I wonder if the non 02 sensor converter would be plugged. Would a plugged converter down stream throw a code even tho there are no 02 sensors in it?

I guess its time to give up and take it into a shop that can do a back pressure test. Thanks for the info and helping me. I'll let you know what came of this ordeal.

Hi Guys!
Well We did a flow test and found that the downstream converters are both restricted (clogged) which lead to a failure(meltdown of the main manifold converters) which lead to the egr sensor burning in two by superheated exhaust gas. Bank 2 converter went bad two year agO. I didn't realize then that the bad converter sent material downstream into the other two converters. The cause of todays failure. So I am going to replace the converters all 4 at a cost of over $2000. Thats if I do the Job myself. I know now after I get the converters down I have to run an O2 sensor balance test. I'll be looking for any antifreeze leaks from the engine as I tear things down. Plus I'll be changing plugs and a wire set for good measure. I am going to take it in for a complete go thru for the sensors on the engine. I want them to check for a overfuel or under fuel condition too that might be cause by a slowsensor. I am going to have them check the function of the fuel inJectors for a sticky on or failed one. That also can cause premature cat failures. I hate these OBD computer systems. Its almost impossible to check all of what might maybe or could have gone wrong. I hope in the future someone reads this and can lean form my minor but costly mistakes. The total cost I am looking at is around $3100. For a car thats worth only $3800 to $4500. It might go to the yard I havent decided. The car is worth more in part than the repir LOL. It has a really nice body and everything else is now prefect on it.
Thanks for the help and I appreciate the advice thanks!

It does have to be odb2 compliant in my county in indiana. It has a obd2 So I guess yes?