How to Replace the Fuel Line on a 2017 Can-Am DS90X ATV

Renewing the Fuel Line on a 2017 Can-Am DS90X

The 2017 DS90X keeps its fuel delivery about as straightforward as a four-stroke can manage. A tank mounted high, a petcock to control flow, gravity pushing fuel down a short rubber hose, and a carburetor doing the metering. Nothing in that path is pressurized or electronic, so replacing a hardened or seeping hose is a genuine home-garage job that costs very little and pays back in reliability.

Spotting the Problem Early

• Gasoline odor that lingers around the quad hours after it was shut off
• A damp patch or steady drip beneath the petcock or carburetor
• Fine cracks that appear when the hose is flexed between two fingers
• Hose that feels hard and glassy instead of soft and pliable
• A sticky, varnished ring at either clamp
• Bogging, hesitation, or a lean feel after the engine has been working for a few minutes

Riders tend to chase that final symptom into the carburetor, and it costs them a weekend. A line that has swollen closed internally, or a clamp letting air past, cannot keep the float bowl topped up, and the engine responds with a stumble identical to a jetting complaint. On a DS90X, put your hands on the hose and check both connections before you pull any jets.

How Fuel Hose Wears Out

Deterioration happens from the inside out. Gasoline in permanent contact with the inner wall gradually extracts the plasticizers that keep rubber flexible, and the hose stiffens until it no longer conforms to the barb underneath its clamp. Once the seal turns marginal, heat cycling and vibration open it up for good. On an air-cooled 90 the section nearest the cylinder takes the most heat, so it typically shows damage first. Dry air attacks the outer jacket at the same time, leaving a crazed surface that cracks as soon as the hose is moved.

Long parked stretches finish the job. A youth quad often sees a burst of hard use and then months of sitting, and ethanol-blended fuel standing in a warm line separates and oxidizes instead of waiting quietly. It leaves varnish coating the inner wall, restricting flow and swelling softer rubber compounds from within. A DS90X stored with fuel in the line year after year will need hose sooner than its hours suggest.

Gathering Parts and Working Safely

• Gasoline-rated hose in the correct inside diameter for this machine, cut a bit long
• Two new clamps — small worm-gear style or a matched pinch-clamp kit
• Nitrile gloves and safety glasses
• A metal or fuel-safe drain container
• Flat screwdriver, needle-nose pliers, hose cutter or a sharp utility knife
• Rags and a spray bottle of soapy water

Verify the hose carries a fuel rating. Vacuum tubing and generic rubber hose sit alongside it and look virtually the same, but they soften and start seeping within a season. The gasoline itself calls for real caution: vapor is heavier than air and pools at floor level exactly where a water heater pilot or shop heater lives. Work outdoors or with the door open, keep flames and sparks away entirely, have an extinguisher nearby, and let the engine cool fully before opening the fuel path.

Getting the Old Hose Off the Quad

Turn the petcock to OFF and give the line a moment. That valve is the complete shutoff on a carbureted, gravity-fed machine, which is what keeps this job cleaner than the same work on a fuel-injected quad where a pinch-off tool is needed instead. Set the drain container in place regardless, since older petcocks often weep past their seats. Drain the float bowl through its drain screw and collect the fuel rather than letting it wash across the frame and plastics.

Free the carburetor end first. Slide the clamp back along the hose, twist the hose a quarter turn to break the bond with the barb, then pull it off. Hardened hose tears when yanked and leaves a ring of rubber stuck to the fitting, which needs to come off with a fingernail or plastic pick rather than a screwdriver that will score the sealing surface. Do the petcock end the same way. Before the old hose leaves the machine, note its routing and any frame tubes it passed. The DS90X is two-wheel drive with chain final drive, so no front differential housing sits in the way, but the hose still has to clear the steering stem through its full sweep.

Fitting and Securing the New Line

Get both clamps onto the hose first, before either end goes on a fitting. Warming the ends in hot water for thirty seconds lets them slide over the barbs without a fight. Push each end fully home against the shoulder of its barb, then position the clamps just behind the barb ridge where they tighten against something solid instead of bare hose. Snug them firmly and stop there, because a clamp crushed into the rubber will cut a slow leak over the next season. Grease and lubricants stay away from fuel fittings entirely — they contaminate the fuel and allow the hose to walk off the barb once heat softens it. Trim the line so it takes a natural curve with no kinks and no tension at either connection.

Final Leak Check

Open the petcock and watch both joints closely for two full minutes with a bright light. Wipe them dry and look again for fresh dampness. Mist soapy water at each connection, start the engine, and watch for bubbles forming at a barb. Shut down while everything is warm and inspect one more time, since a marginal joint frequently only weeps at temperature. Swing the bars fully in both directions to confirm the hose neither pinches nor stretches, and the 2017 DS90X is ready for the trail.

Related Shopping Categories

Shop Fuel Lines for a 2017 Can-Am DS90X ATV.

Shop Fuel Line Clamps for a 2017 Can-Am DS90X ATV.

Shop Petcocks for a 2017 Can-Am DS90X ATV.

Shop Fuel Filters for a 2017 Can-Am DS90X ATV.

Shop Fuel Stabilizer for a 2017 Can-Am DS90X 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.