CEL
 

well i have the check engine light on, im pretty sure its from the offroad h. im going in for inspection this month and obvioulsy i cant have it on or they'll fail the car. im pretty confident they won't know i have no cats(what shop actually puts the car on a lift and checks underneath lol) i just need the light to go out. can i use MIL eliminators designed for a newer stang 96-04?

if you don't have any exhaust leaks before o2's then the CEL is not for what you state as the cats are not a required monitored system in obd 1 vehicles, mil eliminators are for obd 2 equipped vehicles = will not work or do a thing for you.

so do you think i have a leak at the header to h pipe flange? i mean its tight and i dont hear/smell anything

Run the DIY KOEO/KOER self tests first, find out what failure codes need to be serviced. LUK