im about to buy a members set of head but it seems they dont come with lifters or shims. can i use my own with their respective shims in their respective spots? it makes sense i could cuase arent all springs supposed to be in spec anyway?

 

I'm not sure about the lifters. I've heard multiple opinions on whether or not they are interchangeable. Personally, I don't see the problem though.

The shims, on the other hand, are completely swappable and reusable. The ones in your current engine will fit into the new heads. And many other engines in fact. However, they may not be the correct thickness. They will fit into the orifice but their job is to vary the distance between the lifter and cam. A couple thousandths of an inch can make a difference.

It's the valves and their seats and the wear between them that mainly effects this clearance. These values are probably not identical between the two sets of heads. So more than likely, just swapping in your current shims to the corresponding spots in the new heads will not work. You can shuffle them around though. A couple will probably work in another spot.

Then go to your dealer or other shop and see if they'll trade shims with you for the ones you need. In my experience... sometimes they charge nothing, sometimes a few bucks each. Still much better than buying each at retail price.

 

ya i was more worried about the thickness be usable in the same spots.

 

just pony up and buy a shim kit for the bike. If you're doing the work yourself, it's worthwhile to have it.