Yes the carb to the head boot is much more important. A lean pop could come from an air leak. Reconditioning is often possible. Soaking, rubbing silicone into the cracks after heating with a hair dryer, many such tricks. and the clamps. The stock clamps only pull so tight. If they are as tight as they'll go and they still turn on the rubber boot, because the boot has shrunk with age, a screw type hoseclamp may be in order to get them tighter.