Short answer: the Suzuki OEM 6 ft fuel hose (65700-87J28) has a 13 mm tank-side connector. The 6-gallon Suzuki tank with gauge (65000-95J01) ships with the 13 mm fitting already installed, so it connects straight to that hose. The 3-gallon Suzuki tank (65000-99J01) ships with an 11 mm fitting, so if you pair it with the OEM hose you also need tank fitting 99105-00193 (13 mm connector, 1/4" NPT thread on the tank side). These portable-tank parts cover Suzuki outboards up to 30 hp.
The rest of this page covers which Suzuki motors run on a built-in tank and which use a portable tank, how the owner's manual says to vent, connect and prime the tank, and what to check when the motor starves for fuel.
Which fitting, which part
| Tank | Fitting as shipped | With the OEM hose 65700-87J28 | What to add |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-gallon portable tank, 65000-99J01 (current part number; it replaces the older 65000-99100) | 11 mm | Does not match the hose's 13 mm connector | Tank fitting 99105-00193 (13 mm, 1/4" NPT tank side) |
| 6-gallon tank with fuel gauge, 65000-95J01 | 13 mm | Connects directly | Nothing |
The millimeter figure is the size of the quick-connect fitting on the tank. The coupler on the tank end of the hose has to match it, so a 13 mm hose coupler needs a 13 mm tank fitting. The 99105-00193 fitting threads into the tank's 1/4" NPT port and replaces the 11 mm one that comes on the 3-gallon tank. If you order the 3-gallon tank and the OEM hose together, order the fitting with them.
Which Suzuki motors use which tank
Below 30 hp, Suzuki's line splits three ways: motors with only a built-in tank, one motor that can run on either, and motors that run on a portable tank.
| Family | Fuel supply per the owner's manual | Capacity as printed |
|---|---|---|
| DF2.5 | Built-in tank with a fuel cock lever and an air-vent screw in the filler cap. The manual we have describes no separate-tank connection. | 1.0 L (0.26/0.22 US/Imp gal) |
| DF4A | Built-in tank | 1.0 L (0.26/0.22 US/Imp. gal.) |
| DF6A | Built-in tank, plus an optional separate (portable) tank through a fuel connector on the engine; the manual marks the connector "Only for DF6A" | Built-in 1.0 L; separate tank capacity not stated |
| Earlier DF4/DF5/DF6 (service manual 99500-91J03-01E) | Built-in tank; separate tank listed as an optional part | Built-in 1.5 L (0.40/0.33 US/Imp gal) |
| DF8A/DF9.9A | Portable tank (the manual's fuel-filling section covers the tank cap vent and pressure-relief tab) | Not printed in the manual we have |
| DF9.9B/DF15A/DF20A | Portable tank | Not printed in the owner's manual; the service manual lists 12 L and 25 L tanks marked "Except for North America" |
| DF25A/DF30A | Portable tank | Not printed in the manual we have |
From DF40A upward the owner's manuals assume the boat's own fuel tank and recommend a water-separating fuel filter between the boat's tank(s) and the motor. Those motors are outside the portable-tank range this page covers.
Connecting the hose the manual's way
1. Open the vent
The tank cap has an air-vent screw. Suzuki's rule, printed on the DF2.5, DF4A/6A, DF8A/9.9A and DF9.9B/15A/20A manuals, is the same: "VENT SCREW should be CLOSED for transportation and OPEN for OPERATION and CAP REMOVAL." To open it, turn the air-vent screw on top of the cap fully counterclockwise. Genuine Suzuki portable tanks have a semi-auto air vent. Under the cap is a pressure-relief tab with two locks: turn the cap counterclockwise until the tab engages the first lock, press the tab down and rotate the cap a quarter turn to the second lock, then press the tab again to remove the cap. When you refit the cap, tighten it until you hear it click.
A closed vent is on Suzuki's won't-start list. The DF75/90A troubleshooting table, for one, includes "Fuel tank air vent is not opened" among the causes of a hard start.
2. Relieve tank pressure, then connect
Before you push the hose onto the tank, the manual says to loosen and retighten the fuel tank cap once to relieve the fuel pressure in the tank. Then connect the hose at the tank and at the engine and route it without sharp bends. Two lines appear in every family's "Engine will not start (hard to start)" table: "Fuel hose is not properly connected to engine" and "Fuel hose is kinked or pinched." A kinked or pinched hose is also the first cause listed under "Engine idles unstably or stalls." If the motor coughs and dies after running fine, check the hose before anything else. Our troubleshooting page walks through the rest of the table.
3. Prime
Squeeze the fuel line priming bulb several times until you feel resistance. Do not squeeze it while the engine is running: on the carbureted DF4A/6A and DF8A/9.9A the manual warns that the carburetor may overflow. The priming bulb is listed as an optional part on the DF6A. On a brand-new motor or a tank that ran dry, Suzuki's procedure is to fill the tank with fresh gasoline, squeeze the bulb until you feel resistance, then pull the starter grip sharply several times (or operate the starter motor) to fill the fuel line before the normal starting steps.
4. When you stop
On the DF4A/6A, after stopping the engine turn the fuel cock lever to the right and disconnect the fuel connector if you are running a separate tank. The manual adds: "Disconnect the fuel line and turn the fuel cock lever to the off position whenever you leave the motor stopped for a long period of time." The DF25A/30A manual says the same for a tilted motor: disconnect the fuel line whenever you leave the motor tilted up for a long period. On the DF2.5, which has only the built-in tank, turn the fuel cock lever to the right (off) and tighten the air-vent screw before tilting up. The tank label puts it bluntly: fuel can leak and create a fire hazard if you tilt the motor with a loosened air vent screw or lay it on its side.
DF6A: built-in tank or separate tank
The DF6A is the one motor in this range with both. The fuel cock lever selects the source: to the left, fuel flows from the built-in tank; to the right, fuel flows to the carburetor from the separate tank. When you go back to the built-in tank, disconnect the separate tank's fuel line from the fuel connector on the engine side and fit the fuel connector cap, or fuel from the built-in tank may not flow correctly. The storage procedure repeats the same step: disconnect the separate tank line (if provided) and install the fuel connector cap.
Tank, hose and bulb inspection
The maintenance schedule lists "Breather & Fuel line" as an inspection item at the initial 20 hours (or 1 month) and every 100 hours (or 12 months). The DF9.9B/15A/20A service manual gives the tank checks: if water or other contamination is found, drain and clean the tank; check that the fuel tank vent opens and relieves internal tank pressure properly, and if the vent is suspect, replace the tank cap; if the primer bulb's check valve is defective, replace the bulb. If water keeps showing up, it is usually condensation or ethanol pulling moisture into the fuel; fresh fuel and a clean tank are the fix.
Fuel left in a portable tank is the other common problem. Suzuki's manuals say gasoline kept in the fuel tank for long periods will produce varnish and gum, which can damage the engine, and they allow ethanol blends only up to 10%. The octane and ethanol limits by model are on our fuel requirements page. Before the off-season, treat the tank with stabilizer and run it through the engine the way the storage procedure describes.
Parts for this job
We stock the Suzuki 3-gallon tank (65000-99J01), the 6-gallon tank with gauge (65000-95J01), the OEM 6 ft fuel hose (65700-87J28) and the 13 mm tank fitting (99105-00193), along with the rest of the Suzuki fuel hoses and lines and Suzuki fuel conditioner. Boat Max Online is an authorized Suzuki, Honda and Yamaha dealer; orders over $149 ship free to the lower 48.
Sources: Suzuki owner's manuals for DF2.5, DF4A/6A, DF8A/9.9A, DF9.9B/15A/20A, DF25A/30A, DF40A/50A/60A and DF75/90A; Suzuki service manuals 99500-89L00-01E (DF9.9B/15A/20A) and 99500-91J03-01E (DF4/5/6); Boat Max Online part records for the tank, hose and fitting part numbers. Figures are Suzuki's published values; confirm against the manual for your model year and serial number.