[cadillac_al]

Tell us a little more about the engine. Has it ever been rebuilt? Popping through the carb is a classic symptom of a worn cam or misadjusted valves. It could be the firing order or timing too. You might try adjusting the timing by ear in case your balancer has slipped or something. I have never had a distributor partially run. It is either dead or working. I have 5 Skip White distributors with no failures yet. You can get a dud with any brand.