Can-Am Belt Change Tool Guide: 2-Roller vs 3-Roller and Which Tool Fits

If you ride a Can-Am long enough, you will change a belt on the trail. The job itself is simple once the secondary clutch is spread open, but trying to do it without the right tool is how people end up prying on sheave faces with a screwdriver, gouging the clutch and shortening the life of every belt that goes in after. This guide explains what a Can-Am belt change tool does, the difference between 2-roller and 3-roller secondaries, which of the tools we carry fits which machine, and how to use one to swap a belt in the field. Every fitment below comes straight from the product listings, so check your exact year and model before you order.

What a belt change tool does

A CVT belt rides between two clutches. The secondary clutch is spring loaded to squeeze its sheaves together, which is why a belt will not simply slide off. A belt change tool threads into the secondary and, as you turn it, pushes the sheaves apart. The belt drops down into the valley between them, goes slack, and lifts off over the primary. You install the new belt, back the tool out, and the sheaves close on the fresh belt.

The payoff is that you do not have to pull the primary clutch or force anything. That matters for two reasons:

• It protects the clutch. A gouged or scarred sheave face wears belts faster, so one slip with a screwdriver can cost you belts for years.
• It makes a trail repair realistic. With the tool, a spare belt and basic hand tools, a broken belt becomes a short stop instead of a tow back to the truck.

2-roller vs 3-roller Can-Am secondaries

This is where most Can-Am owners get tripped up. Can-Am secondary clutches come in two styles, a 2-roller and a 3-roller design, and a tool or bell made for one will not fit the other. The Hunterworks Can-Am Belt Change Tool solves this by selling a matching bell for each style. The listing gives these examples:

• 2-roller (Small Bell): 2019-2025 Maverick Sport and Trail (not the 1000R), and 2016-2019 Defender HD8 and HD10.
• 3-roller (Large Bell): 2020-2025 Defender HD10, 2016-2022 Maverick 1000R, 2017-2025 Maverick X3, and 2021-2025 Commander 1000.

Notice the Defender HD10 shows up on both lists depending on the year, and the Maverick Trail and Sport 1000R is called out separately from the other Trail and Sport models. Those are exactly the cases where guessing goes wrong. The product page has the full year and model list plus an introduction video that shows how to tell the two secondaries apart. If you are still not sure, call us before you order.

Which Can-Am belt tool fits your machine

We carry three Can-Am belt change tools. Here is how they line up, using the fitment and features each listing gives.

Hunterworks Can-Am Belt Change Tool (2-roller and 3-roller bells)

The Hunterworks Can-Am Belt Change Tool spreads the secondary so the old belt comes out and the new one goes in without prying on the clutch. It is a USA-made, non-marring tool, per the listing. You pick the Small Bell for 2-roller secondaries or the Large Bell for 3-roller secondaries at $89.00, or both bells for $104.00 if you work on more than one Can-Am or help your riding group. This is the one to look at for the Maverick X3, Maverick Trail and Sport, Maverick 1000R, Defender HD8 and HD10, and 2021-2025 Commander 1000 models listed above.

Can-Am Secondary Belt Change Tool (Outlander, Renegade, older Maverick, Commander 800)

The Can-Am Secondary Belt Change Tool from Hunterworks is a smaller tool that threads into the secondary and turns with a 4mm Allen head, so it fits in a glovebox. It sells for $14.00 and comes with Hunterworks Tink Seal lube for the threads. The listing gives this fitment:

• All Can-Am Outlander and Renegade models, all displacements, except the 2024-2025 Outlander and Renegade 850 and 1000
• 2013-2017 Can-Am Maverick
• All Can-Am Commander 800

If you ride an ATV or one of the older Mavericks or Commanders on that list, this is the simple, inexpensive option.

Kemimoto Belt Changing Tool for the Maverick X3

The Kemimoto Belt Changing Tool for Can-Am Maverick X3 is a dedicated X3 tool. Per Kemimoto's listing, you screw it into the secondary clutch, tighten it, then press the handle to loosen the belt. It is CNC machined aluminum with a non-slip surface treatment, weighs 1.6 pounds, and is listed for 2017-2026 Can-Am Maverick X3 and X3 MAX, all models. It sells for $37.99. If you only own an X3, it is a straightforward choice. If you have an X3 and another Can-Am with a 2-roller secondary, the Hunterworks tool with both bells covers both machines.

How to change a Can-Am belt with the tool

The exact steps vary a little by model, so follow the instructions and video for your tool. The general process from the listings looks like this:

1. Park on level ground and let things cool. A CVT housing gets hot, especially after a belt lets go under load. Engine off, park brake on.
2. Remove the CVT cover. Keep the bolts together so none go missing in the dirt.
3. Lube and thread in the tool. On the Hunterworks secondary tool, put a dab of the included Tink Seal lube on the threads before the first use, then thread the tool in by hand.
4. Spread the secondary. Turn the tool until the sheaves open and the belt drops down into the valley.
5. Remove the old belt. Lift it off over the primary. If the old belt shredded, clean out every piece of cord and rubber before you go further. Our guide on removing a shredded or stuck UTV belt walks through that mess.
6. Clean and inspect. Blow the belt dust out of the housing and look over both sheaves for glazing or scoring. A glazed sheave will polish a new belt smooth quickly.
7. Install the new belt. Fit it over the primary and down into the open secondary, the same direction the old one came off.
8. Back the tool out. Let the sheaves close on the new belt. Do not leave the tool in the clutch.
9. Check deflection and reinstall the cover. Set belt deflection to the spec for your machine. Too tight runs hot, too loose slips and glazes.
10. Break the new belt in. Ride it easy at first instead of launching it cold. See our CVT belt break-in procedure for the details.

Carry a spare belt with the tool

The tool only gets you home if there is a belt to put on. Most riders keep a spare in a dry bag under a seat or in a cargo box, along with the tool and whatever socket or Allen key it needs. Two Hunterworks belts we carry for common Can-Am machines:

• The Hunterworks 2017-2025 Can-Am Maverick X3 Turbo Belt ($169.00) is listed for X3 Turbo models and replaces Can-Am OEM part number 422280652, which supersedes 422280651 and 417300383. The X3 900 is a different machine, so call us if you are not sure which you have.
• The Hunterworks 2016-2025 Can-Am Defender Belt ($174.00) is listed for 2016-2024 Defender HD8, HD9 and HD10 models, including DPS, XT, XT HD, Limited, MAX and Cab versions. If you have a 2025 Defender, an HD5 or an HD7, call us before ordering.

Both are made in the USA by Hunterworks, slightly wider and thicker than stock. For full belt fitment by year and model, see our Can-Am Maverick X3 drive belt guide, Can-Am Defender drive belt guide, Maverick Trail and Sport belt guide, and Outlander, Renegade and Commander belt guide.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Buying the wrong bell. Check the 2-roller vs 3-roller list for your exact year, especially on the Defender HD10 and the Maverick Trail and Sport.
• Prying instead of spreading. Screwdrivers and pry bars scar the sheave faces. That damage stays with the clutch.
• Leaving the tool in. Always back it out so the secondary can close on the belt before you start the engine.
• Skipping the cleanup. Belt debris left in the housing or a glazed sheave can ruin a new belt fast.
• Buying the tool after you need it. It does the most good riding along in the machine.

Shop belt change tools

You can see every belt change tool we carry, including the Can-Am, CFMoto and Kawasaki Ridge tools, in our Belt Change Tools collection. Shipping is free anywhere in the US and takes 3 to 7 business days. If you are not sure whether your Can-Am has a 2-roller or 3-roller secondary, or which belt fits, call us at 662-631-9254 or email fixnoffroad@outlook.com with your year and model and we will help you pick the right one.