Would it matter which way the flange came out if you could get the snorkel out cleanly??? I would just remove the snorkel and leave the flange as is as long as there are no sharp edges to cut yourself on....
I guess it just depends on how much you want it to look like the real deal. I think the op wants the look of the real 70-71 air cleaner without having to spend big money on the real thing.
Here's a picture of the inside of a snorkel air cleaner for reference.
