Jimnma 354 rear lift problem - check valve question

[ghidley]

My 354LE (4 cylinder epa engine) rear lift stopped working one day while using my box scraper to push some dirt rearwards into a trench. My dealer had provided replacement descent valve, diverter valve and control lever/valve earlier this year to address another problem so I believe I have the main components from a reliable tested source. I disassembled everything, honed the lift cylindar and then cleaned up the piston with fine grit sandpaper and attached new seals. As I blew out all channels and cleaned out all valves, I noticed something strange with the check valve that is part of the descent valve mentioned above. Instead of the metering needle valve going in to a round orifice, it was seated with its point directly against a collection of 5 tiny round shims (made out of tin like a cola can???). These were 9mm in diameter and .5mm thick each. These just sat in the cavity behind the needle valve covering up the orifice. Is this normal (that the needle valve point doesn't seat into a round orifice but is seating onto the middle of this flat pack of 5 discs)?

I am ready to reassemble everything to see if my rear lift will start lifting again, but was hoping for some advice as to whether or not I should remove these 5 discs before reassembling (or even to learn what function they might provide).

thanks
greg