Sometimes I wonder what I get myself into mechanic-wise. This is no exception. I think the Bombardier appreciates when it gets worked on because it’s the only time I work harder than the machine.
So I finally bought the lines and fuel filters I need to get it running. All costing a cool $32, or as our German exchange student would call it, dinner for one at Olive Garden. I was able to save around $10 not buying elbow male connectors and hose clamps since those parts were in good condition. I went ahead and replaced each line, one by one. This is so I don’t rip everything out only to forget where it all goes. The difference in the old vs. new lines was like night and day. I also wanted to see just how blocked up the lines were from all the ethanol eating the 1/4” diameter hose, along with dirt and debris that might have snuck past the filter. I took one piece of old line and measured and cut an identical piece and put water through them. The old line had significantly reduced flow over the new piece. I’m interested to see if there is any difference. (Below is all the old, filthy lines.)
The next step was to cut out the identical length piece of fuel line that connected the filter to the male connector. There are two of these, one for the reserve tank and the other for the normal ‘on’ position.
After all lines were attached and cut if needed, I re-routed them to get them out of the way. With much struggle and every swear in the English and even tapping into the French dictionaries, I was finally able to get the elbow male connectors into the hose.
And here is where I start being dumb. The piece that makes a tight seal in the tank is a rubber grommet that was unbelievably difficult to get in. So difficult, in fact, that I made the decision to grind it down so it would fit. If I would’ve tried hard enough, it would’ve fit. But being that I have an incredibly short attention span when it comes to mechanic work, I cut corners. Literally. Have a look at the photo below.
I did it to both grommets and connected them right up. It fit in with ease, and I believed I was done. I put in about half a gallon of gas, and it needed some battery power. I hook up my Battery Tender that Meegan got me last year hooked up to it, only to find it flashing error codes and no charge going to the battery. I thought it was the four wheeler’s battery giving it trouble. But after hooking it to the Jeep, the tractor, and my car, I realized the charger went kaput. I was able to borrow a jumper pack from my friend, and was excited when it cranked the fastest it ever has. Note to self: get a new battery. Now I’m dying to get a battery pack.
It was cranking for about 35 seconds, working the fuel through all those lines and to the carburetor. It was really cool seeing the fuel go through the lines since they are clear. I look down at the grommets and notice fuel dripping from both sides. I had a towel underneath it catching the fuel from when I disassembled lines, and I received the consequences of grinding down a necessary seal. I took it out and had a rethink. I assumed Audettes must have rubber grommets, so I spend about $5 on seven different grommets that looked nearly the same size. None of them fit.
Today, I went over to Sno Parts East in Greene who has mountains of snowmobile parts. You might be asking: Why are you going to a snowmobile yard for ATV parts? Well a little bit of research online showed the grommets on the Bombardier were used on every Ski-Doo from 97-02. He had a ton of them. I believed the original grommet matched right up with the ones the guy showed me, and I paid $2 each for them. That’s right, 50 cents off! I get home, all happy that I have new grommets to install, all vanishes within seconds of approaching it. When I checked for fitment, the insides that create the seal didn’t even touch the tank. It was very disappointing. I got handy with the Teflon tape and wrapped it around one of the grommets to see if this was even a feasible idea. It wasn’t after about 40 layers, it simply didn’t work.
So now I’ve got to order the real grommets online and it should be back to working order. I didn’t know rubber was so difficult to find.
