Yes a surestart needs a reed to run, you can cut 1 from a floppy disk.
To make a Reed , first cut a circle that fits neatly but loosly inside of the reed retainer- ie it falls out easily. then cut the sides off the disk to look like the 1 in the picture- note it must still be wide enough to cover the raised circular flange on the back plate or it wont seal.
Stewart