Performance Chips and Wastegates

[chapstic2001]

I purchased a set of KLR and DME chips from Lindsey Racing a few months back and it included a spacer to put on the wastegate. I am assuming this is the "shim" I have been hearing a lot of people talk about. My intent was to get a dual-port wastegate and install the spacer at the same time. Long story short, I haven't done it yet. The chips are installed but not the spacer.

Here are my questions:
1. Is this "spacer" a shim?

2. What does the spacer do?

2.5: What does a shim do?

3. Am I doing any physical damage by driving the car without it installed? Or am I just not taking full advantage of the intent of the chips?

[krickmann]

Your new chips have been programmed with different ignition and fuel scheduling parameters to accomodate a higher (14-15psi)than stock (10-12psi) boost pressure.
Wastegate shims or spacers do one of two things depending on how much additional pressure they are designed to exert on the spring inside the wastegate. Either they are designed to allow the wastegate to open at a predetermined higher boost without utilizing an additional boost controller on the diaphram, or they are designed to just help the wastegate stay closed against the new higher exhaust pressure, relinquishing control of the opening cycle to some sort of electronic or manual boost controller, like the Profec B (electronic) or Lindsey Boost Enhancer (manual).
If you have installed just the chips, then you are not taking advantage of the new setup. Double check with the manufacturer to see if you require an additional boost controller.