oil-bath is messy, For 1.7L: is there a better air cleaner than messy oil bath air cleaner? Options

[Tking327]

For the 1970 1.7L oil-bath air cleaner, how deep should the oil be? It is so messy; and i am also concerned the oil soaked metal mesh is restricting air flow and also i have seen signs of some oil uncomfortably close to the throttle body entry point. I will keep the old oil based one in storage for history sake, but what do you recommend for a paper based system? Ideally, I would rather be rid of the large metal air cleaner apparatus thats there now and go streamlined/smaller.

[wonkipop]

the oil baths are very very good as a filter medium.
possibly better than a paper one.
though not like a paper one gets really tested in most environments a 914 gets daily driven in.

i remember my old type 3 still had the oil bath.
esp good in dusty environments or dirt roads as VW engines being in the back travelled in their own dust and copped a fierce loading of dirt in the intake air.

i'd just leave it as it is.
sure its old fashioned and WW2 tech, but it works well.

and the housing is metal. its not going to fail due to getting brittle.
i look at my L jet air cleaner housing and always wonder.
how much longer is that plastic going to stay........plastic.
its half a century old. eventually it does stop being plastic.
the 73 is a plastic housing i believe.