As stated reeds aint yer problem....that is normal and in spec for a engine that old. You are allowed up to .007 gap as the crankcase pressure is what seals them. The problems you have posted to not correspond with a reed issue
Actually it's 0.010". So what you are telling me is that crankcase pressure, even very high pressure, should be allowed to vent through a carburetor, even when it does it on no other reed box besides the top one? That's hard to believe.
All the other reeds are sealed tightly against their boxes, and a cylinder leakdown test does not show air through the other reed boxes, just the top one. How would one possibly perform a leakdown test if high leakage was normal? If this was the case, then a leakdown test would be completely useless on a two stroke, and I don't think that's the case.
The problems I have posted include running rich and hard to start, which while they can also be related to other issues, happen to be reed issues as well. What's your solution then?