where does my fuel go

I've been into hundreds of carbs Very few of them had cracked bodies. Even after someone broke a mounting ear off, cracks/ leaks are pretty rare.

I guess they improved TQs, but the early ones had problems with body warpage

Quadrajets used to have a certain problem with the bottom plugs leaking, that became a "preventive" fix--epoxy 'em up, and the kits used to come with a foam gasket was supposed to fix it.

I've had quite a bit of trouble back in the day with Holley power valves, and have even seen "leakers" right out of a quality kit. This includes Blue Streak, NAPA, and Holley