When I got my valve job on my Trickflows I had them install some Comp 987 springs as well. When they installed them they recommended a spring cup to go at the base of the spring to keep the spring from bouncing around and to protect the head.

Are these really needed or where they feeding me some BS?

 

on aluminum heads i'd have them installed.

 

Yes and for the reasons they gave you.

 

Aluminum heads need hardened steel washers (spring cups) placed under the valve spring to prevent the bottom spring coil from digging into the head while the motor is running. Cycling quickly in a running engine a valve spring can dig into an unprotected aluminum head like a hot knife through butter.

 

There are the shims that are installed under the springs. Will this provide any insurance until I can get them installed? The shims looks to be copper maybe? The spring cups would require that a machine shop install the springs to achieve the desired installed height which I'm not comfortable with.

That means the heads gotta come off, while they are off might as well port and polosh them. Then I should put new bearings in the motor to insure nothing is wrong, re-ring it and for that matter might as well throw in a BIG solid roller and splay the block, get a new crank and turbo it. Since I'm going to all that work might as well get better flowing heads and sell the Trickflows...

You know how it goes

 

As long as there's something under the springs you'll be fine. It think those shims are actually some sort of alloy, not straight brass. I've used them before and the spring never chewed through them (although I was running milder springs than you are).