check engine light on! please help!!!!

since no one has answered me i will try to make it clear this time (i think it was all my fault i was not so clear). i have a 1990 Colt GLX hatchback. i started getting the engine light on and the engine was working as if it was being choked or as if the exhaust pipe was closed; it would jump like a rodeo horse and black smoke is going out of the exhaust. i removed the catalysator or the cat converter if that is the same thing and i replaced it with a normal exhaust but not the entire exhaust just the part of the cat converter. i still have the check engine light on and all other symptoms. i just remembered yesterday that the distributor also is not exactly the same as it should be;the numbers are not the same. please, please help me!!!!!!!

your check engine won't be effected by your exhaust oryour dizzy, you will need to plug it in to a computer. u can read the codes with a volt meter but u need to know what number the fault codes are first

right this happened to me i have the same car
disconnect your air flow meter connection and give terminals a good clean and do the same with the air flow meter
if this still doesnt work remove the flow meter and look down it to see what the problem is
the crapy running of the car might be because it needs a fuel filter there on the bulk head
if this still doesnt work email me back