Fuel Line Replacement on the 2008 Can-Am Outlander 800

Shop parts for a 2008 Can-Am Outlander 800 ATV.

Confirming What Feeds the Rotax 800

Before a single clamp comes loose, get clear on what you are working with. The 2008 Outlander 800 carries the Rotax 800 HO V-twin with electronic fuel injection, so there is no petcock tucked under the tank waiting to shut off flow. Fuel arrives at the throttle bodies from an electric pump module submerged in the tank, and that circuit holds meaningful pressure even hours after the engine stops. Riders coming off older carbureted quads sometimes reach for a hose with the key off and assume the system is inert. It is not, and treating it that way is how a garage floor ends up soaked.

This is also a 4x4 chassis with selectable two-wheel and four-wheel drive, which matters for access rather than procedure. The front differential, its actuator wiring, and the extra frame structure supporting it crowd the area ahead of the engine, so the hose run threads through more guides and clearance points than a lighter two-wheel-drive machine would use. Nothing about the replacement changes, but you will spend a few extra minutes tracing where the line goes.

Age, Heat, and Ethanol: The Three Culprits

Fuel hose does not wear out from use so much as from time. The compounds that keep the rubber soft slowly migrate out of the wall, and a hose that once flexed easily between your fingers turns stiff and papery. Every heat cycle from a big air-cooled-adjacent V-twin bay accelerates that loss, and the constant vibration of an Outlander working through ruts turns microscopic stiffness into visible surface cracking.

Climate plays a real part too. Machines living in arid country hardened by low humidity give up their flexibility years sooner than the same hose in a humid region, because ambient dryness pulls moisture straight out of the rubber. Attacking from the other side, ethanol-blended pump gas draws water into the system and slowly chews at the hose liner. When an Outlander sits through an off-season with E10 in it, the inside of the line softens and sheds while the outside continues to harden. On a machine this far into its service life, calendar age tells you more than a quick visual once-over does.

Symptoms That Point at the Hose

A deteriorating line usually gives warning before it strands you. Watch for:

  • A damp patch or small puddle on the skid plate or under the frame after the quad has been parked overnight
  • A gasoline odor that lingers around the seat area, strongest right after shutdown while pressure is still trapped in the circuit
  • Hairline cracking, a chalky gray surface, or a section that feels glassy instead of pliable when pinched
  • Bogging under throttle, a lean stumble climbing a hill, or the engine behaving as though the tank is nearly empty when it is not
  • A dust-caked ring at a fitting, which is the signature of fuel weeping and drying repeatedly

Because this is an injected machine, a pressure-side seep can atomize and evaporate before it ever drips, so trust your nose as much as your eyes. A fuel smell with no visible evidence is still a finding worth chasing.

Assembling Your Kit and Setting Up Safely

  • Nitrile or rubber gloves, since gasoline strips skin oils fast and carries additives you do not want absorbing
  • An approved metal or fuel-rated container plus a drain pan to catch what comes out of the line
  • Replacement hose rated for fuel-injection pressure and matched to the original inside diameter — low-pressure carburetor hose will not survive here
  • Fresh clamps appropriate to the fittings you find, and a quick-disconnect release tool if a locking coupler is used at the pump module
  • Line-clamping pliers to pinch off any low-pressure section, since no petcock exists to stop flow
  • Basic sockets and drivers for the seat, side panels, and tank hardware, plus a stack of clean rags

Work outside or with the door fully open, and remember that gasoline vapor is heavier than air and settles at floor level. A window cracked at head height does nothing for you. Keep heaters, grinders, work lights with hot bulbs, and anything else that sparks well clear of the area, and have a fire extinguisher within arm's reach rather than across the shop.

Depressurizing and Pulling the Old Hose

Relieve the system first. Pull the fuel pump fuse, crank the engine for a couple of seconds until it stalls or refuses to fire, switch the key off, then disconnect the negative battery cable. Remove the seat and the side plastics to expose the tank and the hose running back toward the throttle bodies.

Slide the drain pan into position and drape a rag over the first fitting you break, because a depressurized line still holds residual fuel. Push worm-gear or spring clamps well back along the hose before you disturb anything. For a quick-connect coupler, press the locking tabs squarely and pull straight off — do not lever it sideways, as aged plastic collars crack easily. Where varnish has glued the hose to a barb, twist gently to break the bond, and if it still refuses, slit the old hose lengthwise with a blade and peel it off rather than risking damage to the fitting. Photograph the routing, every clip, and each spot where the line clears front driveline hardware before it is fully free.

Seating the Replacement

Cut the new hose to match the original length exactly. Extra length is not insurance; it chafes against the frame or drifts toward hot exhaust. Push each end fully onto its barb until it bottoms out, and install it dry. No grease, no oil, no silicone spray on the sealing surface — lubricant gives pressurized fuel a route to creep past the barb. If the hose is stubborn, a brief soak of the end in hot water softens it enough to slide home.

Set new clamps just behind the raised bead on each fitting and tighten them evenly, snug rather than crushed. If the tank side uses a self-locking quick-connect, push until it clicks and then tug firmly to verify it has latched. That style of fitting needs no clamp at all. Return the line to every original clip and guide so it stays away from the front differential area and the exhaust.

Pressure Test Before the First Ride

Reinstall the pump fuse, Reconnect the battery, and cycle the key on and off four or five times without cranking. Each cycle runs the pump and pressurizes the circuit, which lets you inspect a completely dry system for the first bead of fuel. Feel around each joint with a clean fingertip and a light. Then start the Outlander and check again at idle, watching both connections closely, before the plastics go back on.

One last note specific to this platform: the fuel filter on the injected 800 lives inside the tank as part of the pump assembly rather than sitting inline where you can reach it. New hose will not cure a restricted filter, so if fuel delivery still feels soft after a clean installation, the in-tank module is the next thing to look at.

Related Shopping Categories

Shop Fuel Lines for a 2008 Can-Am Outlander 800 ATV.

Shop Fuel Line Clamps for a 2008 Can-Am Outlander 800 ATV.

Shop Petcocks for a 2008 Can-Am Outlander 800 ATV.

Shop Fuel Filters for a 2008 Can-Am Outlander 800 ATV.

Shop Fuel Stabilizer for a 2008 Can-Am Outlander 800 ATV.

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.