I need a diagnosis.....

[Steve Minor]

Here's the story....My 77 400 GS6 hasn't been cranked for about 6 weeks....Last time I cranked it, it ran great. I ran the carb dry and stored it until today.

Today I went thru my usual routine....tickle the Bing, choke on, 1 soft kick-thru to prime the cylinder, 1 swift, hard kick and it roars to life.

Here is the problem....it dies when I pull in the clutch. It's like I hit the kill button. It will keep running if I rev it to the moon, but at normal idle range (and slightly higher) it dies...? Do you think its a stuck clutch disc(s)?

Any and all thoughts are welcome!

Steve

[bentrims]

Steve,
There should be no relationship between spark and clutch action. I would start by removing the kill switch. Possibly when the clutch is activated the clutch cable moves a small amount and causes some wiring to move also. Wiring movement may possible have caused a wearing through the wires syndrome that shorts out on the frame when the clutch cable moves.

Sounds like alot of ifs but you need to start with the easiest possibilities and work towards the more complex when dealing with electricals.

Isolate the kill switch wire, let it hang and try to create a variable of movement so that it can not short out if this is the trouble.
Good Luck,
Tom Benolkin
Mechanical Engineer and Jerk of All Trades