Hi adam - yes you need a washer for that missing spacer.
The noise that you are hearing is probably because the K&N filter does not seal properly in the Comptech Icebox lid. If you hold the Comptech icebox lid in your hand with the K&N inside it - you can see that the edges of the K&N filter do not go to all the corners (the Icebox filter is not such a great fit either). This allows unfiltered air to be sucked in to the lid from the engine bay (and the associated noise). Try this - I am sure you will see it doesn't fit properly.
If you want to use the K&N, it is best to seal the lid of the icebox. There are a couple of threads on the USA forums about people who have glued down weatherstrips to the lid. That is one option.
The other option is to create a plastic shield that follows the inside of the lid. That is what I did. My stencil was made by this guy when I purchased the ITG filter. He used windscreen glue to fix the shield to the Comptech lid. He charged me $30 to do this. This is a better option than weatherstrips as there is a small risk that the strips could come loose.
http://www.fuelsaver.com.au/contact.php
http://tsx.acurazine.com/forums/show...ht=icebox+seal
I found an old post of mine on the US forum about how to make the plastic stencil
If you purchase a semi-thick plastic bread board (yes the ones used in kitchens - say 1cm thick) you can trace the inside of the icebox lid onto the stencil. Then use a jigsaw and cut out the stencil (again with a frame that looks like the weatherstrips - about 1cm all the way around). The installer used windscreen sealant to glue the stencil to the icebox lid. Simple really and you will have a perfect seal regardless of filter used.
This is what the weather stripping looks like. My shield looks the same except it is 1cm thick plastic and it is fixed solid in one piece. If you go with the weatherstrips - use one continuous piece.
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