Renewing the Fuel Hose on a 2007 Suzuki KingQuad 700 4x4
Shop parts for a 2007 Suzuki King Quad 700 4X4 ATV.
The 2007 model year closed out the carbureted KingQuad 700 before the injected 750AXi took over, and that carburetor is good news for anyone doing this repair at home. The hose you are replacing carries fuel at nothing more than the pressure gravity provides, and a valve on the tank shuts it off completely. Understanding why that hose gave up in the first place is the best way to judge whether yours is next.
The Aging Process Inside a Fuel Hose
New hose is supple because its wall is loaded with plasticizers. Heat radiating off the 695cc single steadily pushes those compounds out, and once the rubber goes stiff it can no longer absorb the vibration and frame flex that comes with utility work. The surface crazes, the crazing deepens, and eventually a fissure reaches the bore. Dry, low-humidity country accelerates the whole sequence because the surrounding air never stops pulling moisture out of the outer jacket, so an untouched hose in arid regions can be far worse than its calendar age suggests.
The bore side faces ethanol-blended pump gas, which absorbs water and gradually attacks the inner liner. On a machine that has wintered more than once with fuel in the system, that liner can be depositing gum and fine particles into the carburetor. There is a second consequence unique to gravity feed: a hose that has softened internally can partially collapse when the carburetor draws hard, producing intermittent starvation that leaves no puddle at all.
Confirming the Layout Before You Start
Fuel on this KingQuad leaves the tank through a shutoff valve, runs down a rubber hose, and enters the carburetor inlet, secured with a clamp at each end. Turning that valve off is the complete extent of your shutoff procedure since there is no pump and no residual pressure to bleed. The carburetor carries a float bowl with a drain screw underneath, which lets you empty the bowl into a pan deliberately. As a 4x4, this chassis routes the hose past front driveline hardware and additional frame structure, so the run is more sheltered than on a two-wheel-drive quad and correspondingly tighter to reach.
What a Failing Line Looks and Smells Like
- A puddle or wet ring under the machine, most often directly below the carburetor or the fuel valve
- A strong gasoline smell that persists in the shed after days of sitting
- Visible cracks, a chalky finish, or a length of hose that feels stiff and glassy under your fingers
- A band of caked dirt at a clamp where fuel has been weeping and drying
- Bogging under load, a lean stumble at part throttle, or the engine behaving as though the tank were nearly empty when it is not
Carbureted machines usually leak visibly rather than atomizing, so a puddle is meaningful evidence. Note exactly where it forms before wiping it up, since that tells you which end to suspect.
Assembling Tools and Working Safely
- Rubber or nitrile gloves and eye protection
- A drain pan and a sealed container rated for gasoline
- Fuel hose in the correct inside diameter for the valve and carburetor spigots on this model
- New hose clamps or a small clamp kit, because original clamps this old rarely reseal cleanly
- A screwdriver for the float bowl drain, a razor knife, a small flat blade, and sockets for the seat and plastics
- Line-clamping pliers if you prefer to hold fuel back while working a fitting
Take gasoline handling seriously here. The vapor is heavier than air and settles across the floor, exactly where a water heater pilot or a shop heater pulls its air. Do the job outdoors if you can. Working inside means opening the overhead door completely so air actually moves at ground level, shutting off every flame and heating element in the building, and keeping a fire extinguisher close. Put the gloves on before you open anything.
Draining and Pulling the Old Line
Close the fuel valve. Remove the seat and the panels covering the tank and carburetor so both hose ends are in the open. Set your pan under the carburetor, back out the float bowl drain, and let the bowl empty, then close it once it stops running. That clears most of the fuel downstream and keeps the mess contained.
Slide both clamps well back along the hose before pulling. A corroded worm-gear screw may need a wire brush before it turns; spring clamps release with a squeeze. Break the varnish bond with a gentle quarter turn of the hose at each spigot instead of hauling on it, and if it stays stuck, slit it lengthwise with a razor and peel it off. That approach protects the carburetor inlet and the valve body, neither of which you want to crack on a machine this age. Keep a rag under each joint as it comes apart, and note the routing on the way out, particularly where the hose clears the front differential and frame crossmembers.
Fitting Up and Confirming No Leaks
Trim the new hose to the same length as the old one. Extra length lets it droop into the front driveline or lie against a hot case, and either will chafe it through in time. Push both ends completely onto their spigots and install them dry. Grease, oil, and silicone all create a path for fuel to creep along a sealing surface, and gravity feed is more than enough pressure to exploit one. Soften a reluctant end in hot water for a few seconds rather than forcing it.
Place new clamps just behind the raised bead on each fitting and snug them evenly, tight enough to seal without crushing the wall. Return the hose to its factory clips so it stays away from the exhaust and moving parts, and confirm the run sweeps smoothly with no kinks — a kinked gravity feed will starve the carburetor under load without ever leaking a drop.
Turn the valve on and wait a minute while gravity fills the hose and the bowl. Study both joints with a clean rag, wipe them dry, and look again for a forming bead. Start the engine, let it idle and warm up, blip the throttle a few times, and inspect one final time before the plastics return. Check the valve flange too while everything is exposed, since a seeping valve is often blamed on the hose. Filtration on this carbureted KingQuad is a simple screen rather than a sealed in-tank unit, so if the machine still runs lean after a dry install, that screen is where to look next.
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Disclaimer: This guide is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended to replace your ATV's official owner's manual. Always refer to your manufacturer's documentation for model-specific instructions, torque specifications, safety procedures, and maintenance requirements. If you are unsure or inexperienced, consider seeking assistance from a qualified mechanic or technician.