Step 01· Done
Pull the tail lights
Each tail light is held by two screws and a clip on the back. Take them all the way out. Left hanging on their wires, they flop against the fenders, and that is how they break.
Install guide · Can-Am Maverick X3
Big turbo.
Big turbo.
Step by step.
The Packard Big Turbo kit for the Can-Am Maverick X3, start to finish: teardown, coolant bypass, oil feed, the turbo, boost control, vacuum lines and the tune. Two videos from our bench, a photo on every step and the numbers that matter.
0 of 0 steps done
23Steps, each with its own check-off
24MINOf install video, chaptered to the steps
14.5PSIWastegate crack pressure, preset on the Packard 2860 turbo
Watch it
From our bench.
Two parts. Tap a chapter and the player jumps to it; every step below also has its own “watch this step” button.
Chapters
Before you start
What you’ll need.
Tools
- Torx T30 and T40 (a T40 bit on an impact helps)
- Sockets: 10, 11 and 13 mm
- 17 mm wrench for the banjo
- 7 mm nut driver for the charge-pipe clamps
- Exhaust spring tool
- Pry bar, pliers, side cutters
- Heat gun
- Cut-off wheel (optional, for the downpipe bracket)
- Zip ties
From the kit
- Coolant bypass kit: straight coupler and plugged heater hose
- 16 in. stainless braided oil feed with banjo
- M8 × 40 mm header studs and the turbo gasket
- 45° −10 AN oil drain fitting
- Boost control lines and tee
- Full kit: the Packard billet plenum and billet boost-sensor connector
Lay it all out before you start so nothing is hunted for with the turbo off.
Before you turn a wrench
- Work on a cold engine. The turbo and exhaust hold heat for a long time.
- Wash the machine first; you’ll be opening the engine.
- Clean engine oil on hand to prime the turbo and top off.
- A wideband AFR gauge. Not optional on a boosted engine.
- Your Dynojet Power Vision 3 for the tune.
The install
23 steps.
Check each one off as you go; this page remembers where you are on this device.
01
Get in there
Tail lights, fascia and bed come off so you can reach the engine bay.
Step 02· Done
Remove the rear muffler fascia
Four Torx T30 screws: one in the center, one on the opposite side and two along the bottom. With those out, the fascia pops off.
Fascia screwsTorx T30 × 4
Step 03· Done
Take the bed off
On each fender, remove the five Torx T30 screws and their push-pin retainers. Now the fenders flex out far enough to reach the main bed support bolts: two per side, each with a nut on the back. With those out, lift the bed straight off.
Fender push pinsT30 · 5 per sideBed support bolts2 per side, nut behind
A second set of hands keeps the bed from scraping the cage on the way off.
Step 04· Done
Clean the engine bay before anything opens
With the bed off you can see how much dirt lives around the turbo. Blow it out and wipe it down before you loosen a single line. Once the turbo comes off, the intake and exhaust ports are open, and anything that falls in goes into the engine.
Don’t skip this one. If you can’t get it clean, button it back up and have a shop do the swap. Dirt in an open port is how a turbo upgrade turns into an engine rebuild.
02
Intercooler and exhaust out
Everything that sits between you and the turbo.
Step 05· Done
Unclip the coolant reservoir
Push in the reservoir’s tabs and lift it free so it’s clear of the intercooler.
Step 06· Done
Unbolt the intercooler
Remove the two bolts on each side, then the Torx T30s. The T30s have washers, so keep track of them and don’t drop them into the bay. Two more bolts come out from inside the cab, one each side.
Bracket2 bolts per sideTorx T30with washersFrom the cab2 bolts
Step 07· Done
Disconnect everything under the intercooler
Lift the charge tube off its hook and unplug the intercooler fan. Loosen the charge-pipe clamps on both sides. Can-Am uses an odd size here: a 7 mm nut driver is the right tool. If your clutch cover ducting is still on, take it off too.
Charge-pipe clamps7 mm nut driver
Step 08· Done
Free the boost control solenoid, then lift the intercooler out
One thing still holds the intercooler: the electronic boost control solenoid, clipped on underneath. Most people don’t know it’s there and break it pulling the intercooler. Release its clip first. You’re installing new boost line, so the old lines can be cut.
With the charge pipes, ducting and bolts off, the intercooler lifts out. Feel around for one last hang-up before you pull.
Release the solenoid clip before you pull. This is the part that breaks.
Step 09· Done
Remove the exhaust
Unhook the springs with a spring tool; they’re strong and close to your face. Remove the 13 mm bolts below. Unplug the O2 sensor at its connector, loosen the downpipe V-band clamp under its heat shield (11 mm), and pop the V-band seal loose with a pry bar.
Exhaust bolts13 mmV-band clamp11 mmSpringsspring tool
03
Coolant bypass
The Packard turbo doesn’t use the factory turbo coolant lines. The bypass kit closes them off.
Step 10· Done
Swap the tee for the straight coupler
Find the bag marked coolant bypass kit. At the bottom of the coolant tank is a tee that feeds the turbo. Replace the tee with the straight coupler from the kit so coolant runs straight through.
Step 11· Done
Plug the turbo coolant hose
The second piece is a length of heater hose with a crimped plug in one end. It’s a very tight fit on purpose. Spread the open end with pliers, warm it with a heat gun, put a drop of oil inside, then push it on.
Before you clamp it, look at the barb: there’s a bulge where it flares. Push the hose far enough past that bulge that the clamp band has a straight run of hose to bite on.
Heat and a drop of oil turn this from a fight into a thirty-second job.
04
Turbo out
Step 12· Done
Take the oil lines off the turbo
The feed on top is a banjo fitting, 17 mm. It should crack loose easily. There are two copper washers; keep both. The oil drain line comes off from inside the cab.
Feed banjo17 mmCopper washers2
Step 13· Done
Unbolt and remove the turbo
The turbo-to-head fasteners are 10 mm and also take a Torx T40; a T40 bit on an impact makes quick work of them. Take the hardest-to-reach ones out first while you still have room. The last ones out are always the hardest when you’re also holding the turbo.
Turbo fasteners10 mm / Torx T40
05
Oil feed and studs
Step 14· Done
Install the braided oil feed at the oil pressure sensor
The kit’s 16-inch stainless braided feed takes its oil from the same place the factory turbo does: the oil pressure sensor, which is a banjo bolt with two copper washers.
- Remove the oil pressure sensor. Keep both copper washers.
- Stack it back: sensor, copper washer, the feed line’s banjo, then the second copper washer against the case.
- Thread it back into the same hole. Point the −4 AN fitting straight up and hold it there while you tighten.
- Plug the sensor back in.
Feed line16 in. braidedFitting−4 AN, straight upCopper washersreuse both
Light torque. It takes a couple of fingers on the wrench. Break the sensor off in the case and a turbo swap becomes an engine job.
Step 15· Done
Pre-route the feed line
The line runs straight up, loops around and lands on top of the turbo. Shape it now, while there’s open space. A twisted line won’t sit where it needs to once the turbo is in.
Step 16· Done
Install the header studs
Thread the kit’s M8 × 40 mm studs into the head at the exhaust flange before the turbo goes on.
Header studsM8 × 40 mm
06
Turbo in
Step 17· Done
Put the 45° drain fitting on at the bench
The kit’s 45° −10 AN oil drain fitting goes on easiest with the turbo on the bench. Thread it on snug and angle it parallel to the bottom-corner flange bolt. Set that way, the drain line slips right on once the turbo is mounted.
Drain fitting45° −10 AN
Step 18· Done
Mount the turbo
Use the gasket supplied with the turbo. With the studs in, only a few threads show past the flange. Start each bottom nut by one or two threads, then inch the turbo onto the head, taking more thread as it seats, until it’s fully home. That’s the way it goes on without a fight.
Before it goes on, look into the exhaust port and the turbo inlet one last time. Anything loose in there is headed for the turbine wheel.
This is the hardest part of the job. Take your time with it.
Step 19 · Good turbo practice· Done
Prime the turbo and connect the oil lines
Slide the drain line onto the 45° fitting. Before the feed goes on, prime the turbo: pour a little clean engine oil into the oil inlet on top and turn the compressor wheel by hand so the bearings aren’t dry on the first start. Then connect the braided feed.
Prime withclean engine oil
07
Room for the exhaust
Step 20· Done
Remove the downpipe support bracket
Your new exhaust needs the room. Two ways to do it:
- Cut it off with a cut-off wheel. Quickest, and what we’d do on our own machine.
- Unbolt it: remove the cover (two bolts), cut the zip ties to free the back piece, remove the two 10 mm bolts from the front side, then the two 13 mm bolts on the bracket.
The bracket also held the plastic hose cover. Zip-tie the hoses to the backing piece and put the cover back on; it holds everything tight and protected.
Cover2 boltsFront side10 mm × 2Bracket13 mm × 2
08
Boost control and back together
Step 21· Done
Mount and plumb the boost control solenoid
Mount it up underneath with the connector facing the back of the vehicle. Then three barbs:
- The barb that comes straight down at 90° goes to the wastegate on the turbo.
- The metal barb above the connector goes to the boost source: the barb already on the compressor housing.
- The third barb, opposite the connector, vents to atmosphere. Put a short piece of hose on it to keep dirt out and leave it open.
Running the full kit with the Packard plenum? The vacuum-line map below shows every line.
90° barbwastegateMetal barbboost sourceThird barbvent, open
Step 22· Done
Put it back together
Reverse the teardown: intercooler and its bolts, charge pipes, fan plug and clutch ducting, then the exhaust with its springs and O2 sensor, the coolant reservoir, the bed, the fascia and the tail lights.
Step 23· Done
Flash the tune, then the first start
Flash your Packard tune before the engine runs on the new turbo; how that works is below. Check the oil level, then start it and let it idle through its first heat cycle while you look for leaks at both oil fittings, the coolant bypass plug and every vacuum line. Recheck the oil once the system has pressurized and top it off.
WidebandrequiredFull-load AFR11.5–12.5
Watch the wideband from the first pull. We would never run a forced-induction engine without one.
Vacuum lines · full kit
Every line, mapped.
Six connections on the Packard plenum kit. Tap one and its two ends light up on the photo.
PPlenum
S · WTurbo: compressor barb, wastegate
TLine tee
BOVBlow-off valve
MS-1MAP sensor port, plenum
MS-2Billet boost-sensor barb
BSBoost control solenoid
Tap a connection or a label. Lines and labels from the Packard vacuum-line instructions for the full kit with the Packard plenum.
Before the throttle body
Boost sensor · 3-pin
The OEM boost sensor goes in the billet connector supplied in your kit, ahead of the throttle body.
After the throttle body
MAP sensor · 4-pin
The MAP sensor goes in the plenum at port MS-1, after the throttle body. Both sensors physically fit the plenum; the one that belongs there has its connector kicking off to the left.
Flash the tune
The tune makes the turbo work.
Your Packard big turbo tune is delivered to your Dynojet Power Vision 3 by email. The short version:
- Set up the PV3
Follow Dynojet’s getting-started steps in the box so the PV3 is paired to your machine.
- Send us PV_INFO.TXT
Plug the PV3 into a computer, copy the PV_INFO file and email it to [email protected] with your mods in the subject line.
- Load the BT tune
Your tune comes back by email. Its name starts with BT, for Big Turbo. Copy it onto the PV3.
- Flash at the glove box
PV3 on the diagnostic port in the glove box, ignition on without the brake so the engine doesn’t start, then READY TO FLASH.
Dialing it in
The numbers to hit.
From the Packard kit instructions, with stock cams and the OEM boost sensor.
8,500RPMTarget with stock cams. Machines vary; 8,300–8,900 is safe.
17–18PSILow boost
21–23PSIHigh boost
11.5–12.5:1Target AFR under full load
Over-boost or under-boost
Adjust the wastegate
The Packard 2860 turbo’s wastegate comes preset to crack at 14.5 psi. If you have a hand vacuum pump such as a Mityvac, use it to confirm that baseline before you chase boost on the car.
- Boost too high: remove the circlip and turn the wastegate rod counterclockwise one full turn to adjust it out. Drive it and see where boost comes in.
- Boost too low: remove the circlip and turn the rod clockwise one full turn to adjust it in, one turn at a time.
- Repeat until boost lands where it should, then refit the circlip.
Off target
Send us a data log
If the car isn’t hitting the target rpm, boost or AFR, log a run on the Power Vision 3 and email it to [email protected].
- Press Log to start; a red banner shows across the top. Press it again to stop.
- Missed it? Press and hold Log for two seconds to save the previous two minutes.
Logging steps per Dynojet’s Power Vision 3 guide for the X3.
No wideband yet
Get one before you lean on it
We strongly recommend every boosted machine run a wideband AFR gauge, and we would never run a forced-induction engine without one. On this kit you’re looking for 11.5–12.5:1 at full load.
Boost feels lazy or erratic
Check the lines first
- BS-3 must vent to open air. Capping it is the most common plumbing mistake.
- Confirm the metal barb (BS-1) is on the boost-source line, not the wastegate.
- Every clamp on the charge pipes and intercooler tight; every vacuum line fully seated.
Questions
Questions installers ask.
Which kit is this guide for?
The Packard Big Turbo kit for the Can-Am Maverick X3, built around the Packard 2860 turbo. The vacuum-line map is for the full kit with the Packard billet plenum.
Do I need a tune with the big turbo?
Yes. The tune is part of the system: it’s written for the big turbo and delivered to your Dynojet Power Vision 3 by email. The Power Vision 3 guide walks through it.
Why do the turbo coolant lines go away?
The Packard turbo doesn’t use the factory turbo coolant circuit. The coolant bypass kit swaps the tee at the bottom of the coolant tank for a straight coupler and plugs the turbo hose.
Do I reuse the copper washers?
On the oil pressure sensor, yes: both copper washers go back on with the new feed line’s banjo, one on each side.
What’s the difference between the boost sensor and the MAP sensor?
The boost sensor (3-pin) reads pressure before the throttle body and lives in the Packard billet connector. The MAP sensor (4-pin) reads after the throttle body and lives in the plenum. You need both.
Should the third solenoid barb be capped?
No. BS-3 vents to atmosphere. Put a short piece of hose on it to keep dirt out and leave the end open.
What AFR should I see?
11.5–12.5:1 under full load, per the Packard kit instructions.
Stuck on a step?
Tell us your machine, the step number and what you’re seeing. The shop answers by email, usually the same day.
Keep going