If it makes you feel better, go ahead and trim the shims so the ropes can touch, but I've never noticed a problem with a thin piece of shim stock between the upper and lower seals. It's much more likely that the bearings have worn enough to let the crankshaft bounce around on the seal and make it leak. Be sure to check and adjust the oil clearance while you've got the main cap off.
Jerry


"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!