My car is still npi and i would like to do a head swap intake and cams. my car pull's nasty when on the bottal but i still want all motor power to and its a cheaper way to gain around 40 hp. so im asking how hard is it to do? and is it worth it. what kind of HP will i be putting out on motor?
It's not an easy swap, though if you've got moderate mechanical skills, you can do it. The hardest part is ensuring correct cam timing, because there is little room for error due to reduced valve clearance with the new heads.
We did the swap in 10 hours in a driveway with no lift and limited use of air tools. Realistically, it can take up to a full weekend if you've never torn a modular motor down before. Other than the timing and some minor fabrication (creating a new alternator bracket or tapping the thermostat housing for the other coolant sensor) its all pretty much bolt-off and bolt-on.
It is definitely worth the investment. I had little over $1300 in my headswap and dropped 6 tenths and again 6 mph in the 1/4 mile.