Why Your 2016 Sportsman 570 Needs a New Fuel Line, and How to Fit One
Shop parts for a 2016 Polaris Sportsman 570 ATV.
A fuel line is a wear item with a quiet failure curve. It does not announce a service interval, it simply gets a little worse each season until one day it weeps at a barb or splits under vibration. On a 2016 Sportsman 570, that curve has had years to run. This is a fuel-injected quad built around the ProStar 567 single, so the hose in question carries pressurized fuel from an in-tank pump and there is no petcock anywhere on the machine to shut off flow. Understanding the failure mechanism is what lets you get ahead of it.
What Age Does to the Rubber
New fuel hose is soft because the compound is loaded with plasticizers. Those additives slowly leave, driven out by heat cycles from the engine and by the constant vibration a working utility quad generates. As they go, the hose stiffens. A stiff hose can no longer flex with the chassis, so fine cracks open on the outer wall and progress inward with every ride. Owners in dry, low humidity country notice this sooner, since arid air pulls moisture from the hose wall and speeds the hardening.
The inner liner degrades separately. Ethanol-blended pump gas absorbs water out of the air, and fuel that stands motionless in the hose through an off season slowly attacks the liner while leaving gum and varnish deposits at the fittings. Because the two failure modes are unrelated, a hose can look and feel serviceable while its interior is already shedding material toward the injector. That is the strongest argument for treating calendar age as a valid replacement trigger on a machine of this vintage.
Symptoms That Should Get Your Attention
- Raw fuel smell concentrated near the tank, strongest right after shutdown while the line still holds pressure
- A dust caked ring or dark crust at either fitting, left by seepage that has dried over and over
- Visible checking on the hose surface, a chalky finish, or a hard section you can feel by squeezing along the length
- A damp patch or puddle under the machine after it sits, which signals an advanced leak on a pressurized system
- Bogging under load, stumbling on acceleration, or the engine acting as though the tank were nearly dry
Note that pressurized fuel escaping a small hole frequently atomizes and evaporates before it can drip. On this 570 the absence of a puddle does not clear the hose, so lean on your nose and your fingertips.
Preparation, Parts, and a Real Safety Note
- Fuel-injection rated hose in the same inside diameter as the original, not carburetor grade line
- New clamps in the matching style, and a quick-disconnect release tool if the machine uses locking couplers
- Line-clamping pliers for low pressure or vent hose, since no petcock exists on this platform
- An approved sealed container, a shallow catch pan, and a good supply of rags
- Nitrile gloves, a razor knife, a flashlight, and sockets for the seat and side plastics
Gasoline vapor is heavier than air and settles across the floor, flowing toward whatever ignites at that height — a water heater pilot, a shop heater, a scuffing power tool. Move the machine outside or open the door completely and run a fan at floor level. Keep an extinguisher within arm's reach and wear the gloves throughout, because fuel strips the oils out of skin on contact and its additives pass through it.
Bleeding the System and Removing the Hose
Pull the fuel pump fuse or relay and crank the engine briefly until it starves and stalls, which relieves pressure. Turn the key off and disconnect the battery negative cable. Remove the seat and the side plastics needed to reach the tank flange and the hose run heading toward the throttle body. Set the pan underneath and drape a rag over the first joint before you open it, because standing fuel remains in the hose even after depressurizing.
Push clamps well back along the hose before you disturb anything. If you meet a self-locking quick-connect, depress both tabs evenly and pull straight off the nipple; sideways leverage cracks collars that have gone brittle with age. When varnish has glued hose to barb, break the bond with a gentle twist, and if it holds, slit the hose lengthwise and peel it off rather than prying at the fitting. Photograph the routing before the old piece is fully clear. As a 4x4 chassis, this Sportsman routes its line past front differential and driveline hardware, so it travels farther and passes through more clips than a two wheel drive machine would.
Getting the New Line In Place
Cut the replacement to match the original exactly, since surplus hose sags into moving parts or wears through against a frame edge. Push each end fully onto its barb and install it completely dry. Grease, oil, and silicone spray stay off fuel fittings without exception; a lubricated sealing surface gives pressurized fuel a route to creep out from under the clamp. If an end will not start, dip it in hot water for ten seconds and it will slide on unassisted.
Place fresh clamps just inboard of the bead on each fitting and tighten them evenly, firm enough to seal and no more. A quick-connect coupler takes no clamp: push until the collar clicks, then pull hard to confirm the latch caught. Route the hose back through each original clip so it keeps its clearance from the exhaust and the front drive components.
Final Checks Before It Goes Back to Work
Reinstall the fuse, Reconnect the battery, and cycle the key on and off several times without cranking. Every cycle pressurizes the circuit while the area is still dry, and that is when a weep is easiest to see. Inspect both joints, wipe them clean, and inspect once more. Start the engine, hold a clean rag near each fitting for a minute or two at idle, and only then put the plastics and seat back on.
Keep one platform detail in mind afterward. The injected 570 carries its fuel filter inside the tank as part of the pump assembly rather than as an inline element on the visible hose, so a new line will not cure a restricted filter. If fuel delivery complaints outlive a clean installation, that in-tank module is the logical next step.
Related Shopping Categories
Shop Fuel Lines for a 2016 Polaris Sportsman 570 ATV.
Shop Fuel Line Clamps for a 2016 Polaris Sportsman 570 ATV.
Shop Petcocks for a 2016 Polaris Sportsman 570 ATV.
Shop Fuel Filters for a 2016 Polaris Sportsman 570 ATV.
Shop Fuel Stabilizer for a 2016 Polaris Sportsman 570 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.