Fuel Line Removal and Installation on a 2013 Sportsman 500 H.O. 4x4
Shop parts for a 2013 Polaris Sportsman 500 H.O. 4X4 ATV.
Gather your parts and set up your space, and the rest of this job is straightforward. The 2013 Sportsman 500 H.O. is a carbureted machine, so the fuel line you are replacing is a low-pressure gravity feed with a manual valve at the tank end and an inline filter partway down the run. There is no pump to depower and no residual pressure waiting to spray, which means the effort goes into clean hose work and keeping gasoline where it belongs.
The Shopping List and the Workspace
Have all of this within arm's reach before you loosen a single clamp:
- Rubber or nitrile gloves and eye protection
- Gasoline-rated hose in the original inside diameter
- Fresh clamps in the style already on the machine
- A new inline filter, which sits in the same line you are replacing
- An approved sealed fuel container and a wide drain pan
- Pliers, screwdrivers, a razor knife, sockets for the seat and bodywork, and rags
Ventilation is not a checkbox. Gasoline vapor is heavier than air, so it sinks and travels along the floor until it meets an ignition source, and the usual candidates are all at that level: a water heater pilot, a kerosene or propane heater, a battery charger sitting on the concrete. Work outdoors if you can. If not, open the door completely and set a fan low to push air across the floor rather than stirring the ceiling, then kill every flame and unplug anything that arcs. Keep the container capped between pours and lay fuel-damp rags outside to dry.
Following the Fuel Path
Spend a couple of minutes with a flashlight before disassembly. Fuel leaves the tank, reaches the manual valve, passes the inline filter, and arrives at the carburetor inlet on gravity alone. Note where each clip retains the hose and how the run turns to clear obstacles, and check that the tank vent is open while you are in there, since a plugged vent starves a gravity system and imitates a failing hose.
The 4x4 driveline shapes access rather than procedure. A front differential and its supporting frame members occupy the middle of the chassis, so the hose weaves around that hardware instead of dropping straight to the carburetor. A two-wheel-drive machine would follow the same steps over a shorter path. Here, the extra effort is simply in recording the routing so the new hose ends up exactly where the old one lived.
Why Hose Fails With Age
Heat cycling drives the exterior breakdown. Each time the engine warms and cools, a bit more of the compound that keeps the rubber flexible leaves the wall, until the hose is stiff enough to crack under vibration instead of absorbing it. Those cracks begin at clamps and in tight bends where the material is already strained, and dry climates accelerate the whole thing by continuously drawing moisture out of the outer jacket.
Ethanol-blended gasoline handles the interior. Alcohol holds water, and fuel standing in the line during any inactive stretch lets that water attack the inner liner, softening it and releasing gum and debris that heads for the filter and the jets. The two processes are independent, so a hose can look serviceable while its inside wall is coming apart, which is why years in service matter as much as appearance.
Signs You Are Overdue
A gravity system leaks whenever the valve is open, making the symptoms readable. A puddle or damp patch under the machine after it has been parked is the clearest one, followed by a gasoline smell that persists with the engine cold and a ring of dirt caked into a dried stain at a fitting. Pinch the hose in several places: sections that stay rigid or crunch faintly are finished.
Then there is the way it runs. A hardened or partially collapsed hose caps the flow gravity can provide, so the engine bogs on a climb, hesitates when loaded, or acts like the tank is nearly empty. A crack that lets air in rather than fuel out leans the mixture and shows up as a stumble at wider throttle. Check the hose before adjusting anything on the carburetor.
The Procedure Start to Finish
Close the fuel valve, remove the seat, and clear the bodywork blocking the run. Put the pan under the carburetor and open the float bowl drain screw so the bowl empties on purpose. Slide each clamp back along the hose before disturbing the joint, then twist the hose gently to break the varnish bond at each barb. If it refuses, slit it lengthwise and peel it off rather than pulling hard enough to distort the valve outlet or the carburetor inlet. Photograph the routing and clips before the run is fully clear.
Cut the replacement to match the old hose exactly. Excess length sags toward the exhaust or chafes a frame tube, and a short piece leaves both fittings under standing tension. Push each end on dry, past the raised bead, and keep grease, oil, and silicone entirely off the fittings, since lubricant on a sealing surface gives fuel a path out from under a clamp that feels tight. Hot water is the only softener a stubborn end should see. Install the new inline filter with its flow arrow toward the carburetor, set fresh clamps just behind each bead, tighten them evenly, and return the hose to every original clip clear of hot parts and the front driveline.
Open the valve and watch for a full minute before touching the starter. Gravity pressurizes each joint on its own and a marginal fitting will bead up while you stand and look. Wipe both fittings and the filter ends with a clean rag, check again, then start the engine and inspect at idle. Take a short slow lap and give it a final look with the machine warm before the bodywork goes back on.
One last note on this carbureted 500: the filter lives inline where you can see and change it, not inside the tank the way a fuel-injected machine handles it. That means the entire fuel path stays available for a quick inspection any time you have the seat off, and a few seconds spent pinching the hose is what keeps the next failure off the trail.
Related Shopping Categories
Shop Fuel Lines for a 2013 Polaris Sportsman 500 H.O. 4X4 ATV.
Shop Fuel Line Clamps for a 2013 Polaris Sportsman 500 H.O. 4X4 ATV.
Shop Petcocks for a 2013 Polaris Sportsman 500 H.O. 4X4 ATV.
Shop Fuel Filters for a 2013 Polaris Sportsman 500 H.O. 4X4 ATV.
Shop Fuel Stabilizer for a 2013 Polaris Sportsman 500 H.O. 4X4 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.