I was reading some of the forum postings. and It looks like the dohc have more ability. normally. but if i have the sohc would it be for the best to swap it out for the dohc and if so does it mean i need a dohc ecu. or would that matter.....(i'm not an engine guy)

 

If you swap from SOHC to DOHC you will need to swap ECUs and do some wiring. There are guides out there on how to do it.

 

It depends on what type of power your lookin to get,
Ive seen boosted SOHC pushin out 320 to the wheels.
But if you want more than that go DOHC id go DOHC anyways

 

The only thing that the SOHC's are good for are lower octane fuels. With the way gas prices are going, it is a good engine to have.
As far as power output it will always struggle to make less power than the DOHC engine's by 5 to 10 WHP.
The DOHC is more efficient with an additional exhaust valve per cylinder, it has more advancement in timing, and uses oil squirters in the bottom end for reliability.