i was able to get the r4 to give me a dry spot after a while of use, but after inspection i see the cause, i placed the center plug backwards which also has a bigger hole that i mead and after using it for a while the juice seeps on top of the center plug causing a dry taste every 10 drags or so but a quick shake or good drag fixes it.
so far the REAL R4 is holding up very well, no leaking, i have no real complaints. While its wicking better then all other revisions I know deep down inside the ptb mod would also turn these into a beast but for now as is, they are pretty dam good.
I could be wrong, but I believe you may be experiencing something that I discovered sometime back. The juice seepage you speak of may be condensation. Anytime there is something in this part of the chamber that can hold the accumulation, you will probably notice it. This is especially true if a whistle tip or whatever is used to increase the volume of the chamber.
Normally, the condensation drips back down in the cup and is vaporized again on the next vape. Sometimes, the condensation is excessive and some of it gets in the intake tube. When this happens, it may seep out at the battery connection and cause you to believe it is a minor leak. This is most noticeable when a small battery with a slick finish it used. When this happens with me, everything gets a slimy feel and I have to wipe it down to get rid of it. Maybe this is more likely to happen with me because I constantly take 1 second draws without putting this thing down. I don't know.
The later ceramic cup reduces this to some degree. It has a ridge sticking up in the bottom that is around the air intake hole. This leaves a groove around it that can catch most of the condensation until it is reused.
So, how do I know this is condensation? Well, it has a sweet taste just like VG, and no taste of nicotine. Evidently you get all of the nicotine even though you may not get all the vapor of each drag. So I would say that if your seepage has a strong nicotine taste, then pretend that you never read this post.
About the mods, etc. Sit back and enjoy that thing boy, and wipe all that other stuff out of your mind.
BTW. The wife likes the sample juice you sent better than I do, so I may not get a chance to actually try much of it.