I have also not had any bad luck with my 1954 Rochester carburetors. The include minimal/no leaks at the lid-to-base seal.
I may just be lucky (and, my total experience has only been with one 216, three 235s, and two 261s).
I have, however, seen some older Rochesters with warped tops and resultant leaks.
My guess is a few Rochester problems might be due to:
- old/bad gas
- "debris" in fuel tank
- no fuel filter
- dirty air cleaner (and/or bad seals in/around air cleaners)
When any of these occur, your carburetor is seriously/negatively affected, and a good rebuild or good replacement is needed.
