Planning and Performing a Fuel Line Swap on a 2016 Honda Rincon 680 4x4

Shop parts for a 2016 Honda Rincon 680 4X4 ATV.

Set aside an hour for this job on a 2016 Rincon 680 and you will finish with time to spare. Most of that hour goes to removing bodywork, relieving fuel pressure, and verifying the result — the actual hose swap is a couple of minutes of work. Knowing the sequence in advance is what keeps it from turning into an afternoon.

Mapping the Job Before You Start

The order of operations on this machine is fixed by the fact that it is fuel injected. You relieve pressure, disconnect the battery, remove the seat and tank plastics, catch the residual fuel, free both ends of the hose, fit the replacement, then pressurize and inspect. Nothing in that list can be swapped around safely.

The part that people underestimate is routing. This is a 4x4 chassis with independent rear suspension, so the frame is packed — a front differential and driveshaft occupy the forward section and suspension linkage sits behind. The hose is held by clips positioned to keep it clear of turning driveline components and hot exhaust surfaces. Before you loosen a single fitting, take photographs of the run from two angles and note which clip the hose passes through. A hose reinstalled off its original path can chafe through in a season even though the rubber itself is brand new.

Selecting the Hose and Hardware

  • Hose rated for fuel injection pressure in the original inside diameter, bought a few inches long so you can trim it exactly
  • New clamps matched to what the machine already uses, since old clamps lose tension and old spring clips can crack
  • A quick connect release tool if a locking coupler is used at the pump module
  • Line clamping pliers, because this Rincon has no petcock to shut off flow
  • Nitrile or rubber gloves, eye protection, a drain pan, and a sealable fuel container
  • Small sockets, a flat blade screwdriver, a sharp utility blade, and a supply of rags

Measure the old hose rather than guessing at the diameter, and do not substitute low pressure carburetor tubing. Its thinner wall is not built for a pressurized circuit and can balloon or blow off a barb.

How This Rincon Delivers Fuel

An electric pump inside the tank draws fuel through an integrated filter and pushes it under pressure to the throttle body, where the injector meters it. Because of that architecture there is no manual fuel valve to close and no carburetor float bowl to drain, and the line holds pressure long after shutdown. The filter being inside the tank matters for troubleshooting: replacing the visible hose will not improve a restriction that lives in the pump assembly. Some joints on this platform use a self locking quick connect coupler that requires no clamp.

Why the Old Hose Needs Replacing

Fuel line degrades on a timeline, not a mileage schedule. The plasticizers that make rubber flexible slowly migrate out of the compound until the hose is stiff, then brittle enough to crack wherever it bends. Heat cycles from the 675cc engine, sunlight, and ozone all accelerate that, and dry climates accelerate it most, since low humidity draws moisture out of the hose wall and leaves a hard, glazed surface.

Ethanol blended gasoline attacks the inner liner separately. Alcohol content absorbs water from the air, and fuel standing through a long layup breaks down the hose from within while depositing gum and varnish at the fittings. Watch for a gasoline smell that peaks right after shutdown, a puddle or damp stain under the frame, visible cracking or a chalky feel, a dirt caked ring at a barb, and an engine that bogs, hesitates under load, or acts starved for fuel. Remember that a pressurized leak may atomize and evaporate rather than drip, so a persistent odor over a clean floor still counts.

Ventilation and Fuel Handling

This is the part of the job that deserves genuine care. Gasoline vapor is heavier than air, so it flows downward off the machine and pools along the floor where you can barely smell it and where any spark is most likely to reach it. Open the garage door completely and put a fan on the ground pushing air out of the space, rather than relying on an open window overhead. Shut off any water heater, furnace, or shop heater with a standing flame in the same room. Disconnect the negative battery cable so nothing can arc while a fitting is open, stage a fire extinguisher within arm's reach, and keep the recovery container capped between pours.

Removal, Installation, and Verification

Relieve the pressure by pulling the fuel pump fuse or relay, cranking the starter for a few seconds until the engine stalls or will not fire, then switching the key off and disconnecting the battery negative. Remove the seat and the plastics over the tank, slide the drain pan into place, and drape a rag over the first joint you open, because a depressurized hose still holds fuel that will run out.

Slide each clamp well back before you disturb a fitting. On a quick connect, press the locking tabs squarely and pull straight off; sideways prying breaks collars that have gone brittle with age. Twist the hose a quarter turn to break the varnish bond at the barb and draw it off with steady pressure, and if it has fused on, slit it lengthwise and peel it away rather than levering on the throttle body or pump module.

Cut the new hose to the original length and push each end fully onto its barb dry, softening stiff rubber with a brief dip in hot water. Grease, oil, and silicone have no place on a fuel fitting — lubricant on a sealing surface gives pressurized fuel a route past the seal and lets the hose creep off the barb over time. Set new clamps just behind the raised bead and tighten them evenly, snug without cutting into the wall. Where a self locking coupler is used, push until it clicks and tug firmly to confirm the latch engaged.

Return the hose to its clips using your photographs, reinstall the pump fuse, and Reconnect the battery. Cycle the key on and off several times without cranking; each cycle runs the pump and pressurizes the circuit, letting you examine both joints while they are clean and dry. Wipe them and look again, then start the engine and check a third time at idle with the machine vibrating. Take a short slow loop, shut down, and give both connections a final inspection before the bodywork goes back on.

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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.