Catalog › Installation Guide: Challenger R/T Catalytic Converter Installation Guide: Challenger R/T Catalytic Converter

Installing Your New Catalytic Converter

WARNING: You must disconnect the positive and negative terminals of your battery before you start to remove the stock exhaust system. There is a heat shield on the passenger side converter that could easily touch the starter when installing the high flow cats. This would (and could) cause the starter to spark and possibly (with a manual car) cause the car to engage into drive or reverse.

The battery terminals must remain off until the removal and installation is complete. The converter shield must be re-installed once the new solo high flow cats are on and there is a strong likelihood that the shield will touch the starter upon re-installing it.

1. Before installing your new Solo Performance High Flow catalytic converters you must first remove the exhaust system. If you have the factory Challenger R/T exhaust system you have to remove the complete cat-back unit (except for the driver’s side rear muffler) exhaust before starting on the converters. If you already have the Solo Mach-X Cat-Back exhaust kit, our mid muffler section must be removed in order to install the converters.

2. We highly suggest using “O2 sensor safe never seize.” (Not included.)

3. Re-tighten converters (converter to manifold connection) after 4-7 days of driving.

Removing the Stock Exhaust System

Note: Before removing the stock exhaust, make sure the battery terminals are disconnected. Please read above warning.

1 Unbolt the 13mm spring bolts by the rear axle on the driver’s side.

2 Loosen the two 15mm band clamps at the rear of the converter.

3 Remove one piece heavy, bulky exhaust that goes from the rear of the converters to the tail tips on the passenger side. Use extreme caution as this piece is awkward and heavy.

4 There are two ways to get this heavy system released from the hangers that hold it up. One way is to squirt soapy water into the rubber hole where the hanger rod goes through. You could use a penetrating oil but soapy water has the same affect with no potential harm to the rubber. Use channel lock pliers to “squeeze” out the hangers or a pry bar can also be used. The second way to get this piece down would be to unbolt the hangers from the frame of the car using a 13mm socket. Once on the floor it would be easier to get the rubber hangers off the rod. If you do it this way take one hanger off and re-install it in the same location before moving on to the next hanger.

Removing the Solo Exhaust System

1 Loosen the two 2 ¾” band clamps at the rear of the converter with a 9/16” socket.

2 Take off the 4 bolts at the rear of the mid muffler section using a 9/16” socket.

3 Removing this mid-section is all you need to do to have access and start working on installing your new converters.

Installing Your New High Flow Converters

Note: Make sure battery terminals are disconnected.

Note: The O2 sensors must be unthreaded from the stock converters. Unscrew the O2 sensors in a counter clockwise direction using even pressure to ensure that you do not “strip” the threads. Solo’s “oxygen sensor extenders” must be installed into the Solo High-Flow-Converters and then the stock O2 sensors screw into the Solo O2 extenders.

1. There are several ways to get the O2 sensors off the stock converter pipes.

a) Unplug both sensors from the wiring harness and unscrew while converters are on the car using a 7/8” or 22mm wrench or a special O2 socket. You may have more “leverage” with the converters still attached to the manifold to unscrew the O2’s. Unplugging these sensors can be a bit tricky. Some patience is required.

b) Unplug both sensors from the wiring harness and after the converters are “on the ground” remove the O2’s paying attention to their correct position.

2. Remove the factory converters from the manifold using a 16MM “swivel” socket. A straight socket will not work. Use care in removing the two 16MM nuts (save these nuts as they will be re-used) and support the stock catalytic converter and “ease” it down to the ground. Do not let the converter “drop” as it could damage it. On the passenger side you must remove the nuts (16MM) that hold on the heat shield before you can remove the nuts that hold the converter.

3. Whether you install the Solo Oxygen sensor extenders and O2 sensors into the High-Flow converters while they are on the floor or on the car it doesn’t matter but make sure to use even pressure and do not cross thread.

4. Loosely install the Solo High Flow Converters onto the manifold. At this point you want the Solo converters snug enough to “hold” but moveable. There is a slight flair on our converters where it bolts to the manifold which allows for “rolling” and movement.

5. Re-install the exhaust system in the reverse manner of which you removed.

6. Hang everything in its appropriate place and “roll” the converters so that there is proper clearances from above the resonators to the floor.

7. Snug the 16MM nuts at the converter to manifold connection and then snug the exhaust.

8. Make sure everything is still aligned and then tighten more.

9. Make sure everything is still aligned and then do your final tighten.

10. Make sure the four O2 sensors are tight and plugged into the wiring harness.

11. Bolt on the heat shield that protects the starter (passenger side.)

12. Do a final check for clearances and tightness.

13. Put the battery cables back on.

14. Drive away and… Enjoy Going Solo!