Catalog › Installation Guide: Pontiac G8 Catalytic Converter Installation Guide: Pontiac G8 Catalytic Converter

Installing Your New Catalytic Converter

Note: Pontiac’s O2 sensor on the driver’s side, going into the stock catalytic converter is pulled very tight. There is almost no “slack” in this wire. Please use care not to stretch or break it.

1. Going down from the engine compartment find, and unplug the passenger and drivers side O2 sensors. Of course these are the primary O2 sensors that thread into the catalytic converters. Unplugging these sensors can be a bit tricky. Some patience is required.

2. Unbolt the converter to manifold connection using a 15mm socket. You have to unbolt these from the engine compartment as the bolts are facing upwards.

Note: Make sure you undo the top bolts (CAT to MANIFOLD) first. If you undo the bottom first and then the top, the cat will fall and possibly break or damage the O2 sensors.

Note: This upward positioning of the bolts will be repeated when installing the SOLO cats. This is necessary to have access to the O2 sensor directly beneath these bolts.

3. 3) Undo the bottom bolts using a 15mm socket. Carefully remove the converter.

4. Carefully remove the oxygen sensors from the stock converter with a 22ml or 7/8” wrench or special O2 socket.

5. Put oxygen sensors aside and make sure they don’t get mixed up as to which side they came out of.

Note: Look at the difference in the internal design of the GM to SOLO CATS. It’s unbelievable!

6. Install the new SOLO Cats. The cats are market with a R (passenger side) and L (driver’s side.)

7. Sequence at Cat to Manifold connection from underneath the car:
•  Bolt facing upwards
•  Flat washer
•  Cat
•  Solo Gasket- Provided (please be careful with the edges as they can be sharp.)
•  Manifold
•  Flat washer
•  Lock washer
•  Nut

8. Install the nuts and bolts provided at the rear of the cat to the front pipe connection.

9. Finger tighten all bolts and manipulate the cat into alignment.

10. At this time the SOLO CATS should be sitting in place with the O2 sensors still removed.

11. Snug and then tighten all 8 bolts. Do this in an even manner. The front bolts can be either tightened from the bottom or top with a 9/16” socket.

12. Screw the oxygen sensors into the O2 bungs on the SOLO CATS until very snug.

13. Plug in both O2 sensors into the wiring harness.

14. The Cats are now installed.

15. Remove the two downstream or rear oxygen sensors.

16. Thread in SOLO’s O2 extender on both sides.

17. Re-install the rear O2’s into the oxygen sensor extenders.

18. Drive away and… Enjoy Going Solo!