Powersports Fuel Pumps & Components

Any internal combustion engine in a UTV, ATV, snowmobile, or personal watercraft needs to have a sufficient supply of air and fuel to operate. Of course, your ignition system should work properly, too. In a situation when your machine does not start, even though the tank is full, the battery cranks the motor, plugs produce powerful sparks, and fuel injectors receive control pulse, the problem lies in the pump. There are two main types of powersports fuel pumps that can be used to deliver gasoline to the carburetor or fuel injection system: mechanical, operated by a vacuum created in the crankshaft, or electric.

Vacuum-operated pumps create a low-pressure flow suitable for vehicles equipped with carburetors. Such a pump can be installed directly on a fuel line coming from the petcock. Make sure to install and check a fuel filter on the line coming to the pump. Failed or poorly operating fuel pump makes your machine starve for gas, so it needs to be replaced as soon as possible. An electric pump is installed inside the tank and is a part of the larger assembly that may also include a floating fuel level sensor. This type of pumps creates the pressure high enough to be used in vehicles with fuel injection.

A mechanical pump is very easy to replace. You just connect inlet and outlet hoses, put on a vacuum hose, and fix them with clamps. Depending on the construction of your particular powersports machine, to install an electric fuel pump, you may have to remove your tank first. Some models feature easy-to-service fuel pump assemblies. You may disconnect a high-pressure line with a quick-connect clip, unplug an electrical connector, and unscrew a threaded plastic ring holding the assembly in the tank. After that, you may extract the assembly and replace an electric motor, strainer, O-rings, and gaskets to restore the functionality of your fuel pump.