Fuel Line Replacement on the 2017 Sportsman Big Boss 6x6 570 EPS
Shop parts for a 2017 Polaris Sportsman Big Boss 6x6 570 EPS ATV.
Six wheels, a dump box, and a ProStar single make the 2017 Sportsman Big Boss 6x6 570 EPS a genuine work machine, and work machines rack up hours in conditions that punish rubber. The fuel hose is easy to overlook right up until it starts weeping or the engine begins acting starved. The first thing to know before you start: this model is fuel injected. There is no petcock under the tank, the fuel pump lives inside the tank, and the line you are replacing carries pressurized fuel to the throttle body.
Relieving Pressure Before Anything Else
On a carbureted quad you would simply turn a fuel valve to OFF and start loosening clamps. That option does not exist here, so pressure has to come out of the system deliberately. Pull the fuel pump fuse or relay, then crank the engine for a few seconds until it stumbles and quits. Switch the key off and disconnect the battery negative cable so the pump cannot prime while you have a fitting open. Skipping this step is how people end up with fuel sprayed across a garage.
Ventilation is not optional either. Gasoline vapor is heavier than air, so it settles at floor level and gathers around cords, chargers, and heaters. Move the Big Boss outside or open the shop up end to end, keep every ignition source well clear, and wear gloves because gasoline strips skin oils on contact and carries dissolved residue with it.
Why Fuel Hose Wears Out
Fuel line is soft when new because plasticizers are blended into the rubber, and those additives slowly migrate out of the wall. What remains behind is harder, more brittle, and much less tolerant of movement. The engine heat cycles the hose every time you run the machine, and a long six-wheel chassis flexes considerably when a loaded box crosses uneven ground, so hardened rubber under that treatment eventually opens hairline cracks.
Dry air compounds it. Owners in arid country routinely find hose that has stiffened years earlier than the same part in humid conditions, because low humidity pulls moisture from the wall. Ethanol-blended pump gas attacks from the inside, absorbing water and gradually breaking down the inner liner. A Big Boss that sits for months between jobs with E10 in the system can develop internal gumming and flaking that gives no outward sign at all.
Recognizing a Failing Line
- Fuel collecting on the skid plate or dripping onto the floor after the machine has been parked
- A gasoline smell that lingers around the tank, strongest right after shutdown while residual pressure is still trapped
- Visible cracking, a chalky white cast, or a stretch of hose that has gone rigid
- Bogging under load, hesitation when you get into the throttle with the box loaded, or a lean stumble at higher rpm
- A dust-caked ring at a fitting where seeping fuel has been drying and collecting dirt
Injected machines make the puddle test unreliable. Fuel escaping a pressurized joint often atomizes and evaporates before it reaches the ground, so a strong odor with no visible drip still means you have a leak. A carbureted machine would almost always leave a pool under the float bowl instead.
Parts and Tools to Have on Hand
- Replacement hose rated for fuel-injection pressure and matched to the factory inside diameter — low-pressure carburetor hose will not survive on this circuit
- New clamps in the correct style, plus a quick-disconnect release tool if a locking coupler is used at the pump flange
- Line-clamping pliers for pinching off any low-pressure or vent section, since there is no petcock to do that job
- An approved fuel container and a shallow catch pan
- Nitrile or rubber gloves, plenty of rags, a small flat-blade screwdriver, and sockets for the seat, cargo box, and side panels
Extracting the Aged Hose From the Chassis
With the system depressurized and the battery disconnected, lift the seat and remove whatever plastics stand between you and the tank outlet. Place the pan beneath the fitting you intend to open and drape a rag over it, because even a bled line holds residual fuel that will run out the moment the joint separates. Back any worm-gear or spring clamp well down the hose before disturbing the connection.
Quick-connect couplers get squeezed squarely on their tabs and pulled straight off. Never lever them sideways — the plastic collars grow brittle with age and split when pried. If the hose has varnished onto a barb, twist it gently to break the bond rather than pulling hard, or slit it lengthwise with a razor and peel it away instead of risking damage to the fitting.
Trace the routing carefully as the line comes free. This 6x6 chassis is substantially longer than a standard four-wheel Sportsman, so the run passes more crossmembers and retaining clips on its way aft, and the on-demand all-wheel-drive front end adds clearance points a two-wheel-drive quad never has. Photograph each clip before the hose is fully out.
Installing the New Line and Confirming the Seal
Cut the replacement to the original length exactly. Excess hose chafes against the frame or drifts toward hot exhaust, while a short piece keeps the fittings under load they were not designed to carry. Push each end fully onto its barb dry, and keep grease, oil, and silicone entirely off the sealing surfaces — lubricant on a fuel fitting gives pressurized fuel a path to creep out from under the clamp. If a hose end resists, dip it briefly in hot water to soften it.
Seat new clamps just behind the raised bead on each fitting and tighten them evenly instead of crushing the hose wall. Where a self-locking quick-connect is used, push until the collar clicks and then tug firmly to verify it latched; that joint takes no clamp at all. Return the line to every original retainer so it stays clear of the driveline and exhaust.
Reinstall the fuse, Reconnect the battery, and cycle the key on and off several times without cranking. Each cycle primes the pump and brings the circuit up to pressure, which is your best opportunity to catch a weep while everything is still dry. Wipe both joints with a clean rag, inspect closely, then start the engine and check again at idle before the plastics go back on. One last platform note: the fuel filter on this model sits inside the tank as part of the pump assembly rather than inline where a carbureted machine would put a serviceable filter and bowl drain. If delivery still feels weak after a clean install, that in-tank module is your next stop.
Related Shopping Categories
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Shop Fuel Filters for a 2017 Polaris Sportsman Big Boss 6x6 570 EPS ATV.
Shop Fuel Stabilizer for a 2017 Polaris Sportsman Big Boss 6x6 570 EPS 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.