'82 Maxim shuts off while drivin.g, various scenarios

[kazslo]

I've been having this problem for the last month, but its been getting more and more common. When driving the bike, it shuts off. To get it back on requires about a 20 second wait and shifting to neutral. Usually, once I get fed up and decide to turn around a go back home, the whole trip home is smooth sailing with no shut-offs. It happens while accelerating, while stopped, or while coasting with the clutch pulled in (the majority of the time this is the scenario). Where do I start, what should I look for? Carbs were cleaned about 3 months ago, cdi swapped 6 months ago.

THANKS!

 

[jmd_forest]

Install a clear plastic inline filter so you can inspect for gas flow from the tank to the carbs when it shuts down. Carry a spare spark plug with you and IMMEDIATELY after shutoff pull a plug wire, insert the spare plug, ground the plug against the motor, and crank over the engine to check for spark, At that point you should be able to at least have it narrowed down to either fuel or spark. Also, try running around with the petcock on PRI for a few rides to check out the possibility of a leaky petcock vacuum diaphram.

 

[corruptmind]

^ Nailed it.

 

[HoughMade]

Does anything else happen like the indicator lights go out? If so, check the connections in and around the fuse box.

 

[kazslo]

I feel like a big dunce. When I was diagnosing carb problems, I removed the vacuum line from the petcock to the carb and capped it at the carb. Never replaced it, and for some reason in the past month I have been turning the petcock only to PRI and not ON. Can't expect PRI to work without vacuum pull. Thanks for the mention on the PRI setting, I avoided to make some major renovations. Even without running the bike it dawned on me that this was the problem.