Changing from stock to fancy oval air filter

[Trifle]

Just bought a 1978 124 1800. I am incompetent mechanically. The one thing I thought I could do was replace the stock air filter with a shiny, oval "performance" one. It's called "High performance oval air cleaner assembly".
Now I find I cannot even do that. Please help, because the new filter has no instructions.
So I took off the stock air filter to expose the carb. The gasket and bottom plate screw holesOn the new kit line up great with the existing carb. But then I stopped to wonder about the two hoses that connect to the stock air cleaner housing. There's a big hose and a little hose. What happens to them? The bottom plate of new oval air filter has two extra holes app 1 cm across, which are not screw holes. The kit comes with a black plastic plug that fits one of the 1 cm holes. It comes with an elbow tube that fits the other hole. But neither of the two hoses that fit into the current stock air filter come close to fitting the elbow tube -- one is way too big, and the other one too small. What am I supposed to do?
I tried to use "search" function but found nothing that was directly on point, or that was dumbed-down enough for me to understand. Thank you for all help.

Julian

[dmwhiteoak]

I installed one on my 78 just after I bought it. Here's what I did. The big hose is the crankcase vent. I purchased a plastic nipple to fit but did not like the oil film that would accumulate after awhile so I plugged the hole and bought a filter from autozone to put on the vent hose. Works great. The small vac hose to the aircleaner I did not have as it was desmogged and didn't need it for anything. Check your local auto parts place for the correct fitting if you feel you need it on the cleaner.

[Trifle]

Okay. Thank you. I can picture that. When you say you plugged the hole, you're talking about the holes in the baseplate of the filter unit? The kit comes with one plug and you just plugged both? As for the big hose that you fitted with its own filter, did you attach the hose to anything to stop it from moving around?

[dmwhiteoak]

I had no plugs with mine. I spent 20 cents( two dimes ) to plug them with the aid of silicone. Not classy but effective. The crank case breather hose is stable where it runs up by the firewall.

[Trifle]

I changed the air filter assembly yesterday from stock to oval unit sold by Ricambi. All seemed to fit just right. Can't believe I didn't break anything. Seems to run better in fact. Thank you.

New issue: this new oval filter, though it seems so compact and less high than old stock filter housing, is in fact nudged right up under hood when hood closed. I know I didn't screw up and somehow install higher than it should be. Nevertheless, top of filter housing is touching the ratty fiberglass insulation on underside of hood.

First worry is that the flow of air is compromised since no air is able to come thru top of filter. Second concern is heat if filter, when it heats up via natural transmission of engine heat, is physically touching insulation under hood.

Thank you for any advice or suggestions.

Julian

[onejohny]

Remove the ratty insulation.

[Trifle]

That was the answer I was hoping to see. Thanks. Good-bye ratty insulation.

[georgeramos]

I hate to say this but i hacksawed the crankcase breather hose nipple (along with the smaller vaccum hose nipple) off the bottom of the stock air cleaner and "soldered" this through the hole in the aftermarket air cleaner so my hoses are more or less hooked up as they were originally.

I then found another stock air cleaner at a pick & pull in case I ever want to go back...

George