SpeedFactory B16 H-Beam Connecting Rods

A B16 that stays stock lives forever. A B16 with a turbo hanging off it, or one getting revved to the moon on cams and compression, eats its factory rods sooner or later. The SpeedFactory Racing B16 H-beam connecting rods are the affordable insurance: forged 4340 chromoly rated for over 225 hp per cylinder, which is 900+ hp total and more than any street B16 build will ever ask of them.

What It Is and Why It Works

This is a set of four 134.37mm center to center rods matching the stock B16A length, so they drop into a B16A2 or B16A3 bottom end without changing your piston compression height math. Each rod is forged from SAE 4340 chromoly, 100% CNC machined, multi-stage heat treated, magnafluxed to catch internal flaws, and shot-peened to relieve stress. Precision alignment dowels locate the rod caps, keep the big end bore round, and eliminate cap walk under load, a real failure mode on cheaper hardware.

The pin end runs a bronze alloy bushing with dual offset oiling holes for floating wrist pins, and the box includes 3/8 inch ARP2000 rod bolts rated at 220,000 psi, ARP assembly lube, and instructions. Every set arrives weight matched to within 1 gram at 544 grams per rod. Whether the engine lives in its original EM1 Civic Si, a del Sol VTEC, or an EG or EK swap car, this is the same bottom end recipe the boosted B16 crowd has run for years.

Specs

Fitment

Factory USDM applications are the B16A3 in the del Sol VTEC and the B16A2 in the EM1 Civic Si. JDM B16A engines from the EF8/EF9 CRX and Civic SiR through the EG6 and EK4 share the same rod dimensions, and a swapped B16 in any chassis takes these just the same.

The pin end fits most aftermarket pistons without additional machining, and OEM style pistons will not work at all. If your build is a B16B from an EK9 Civic Type R, hold on before ordering: the B16B block is taller and runs a longer rod than the B16A, so confirm your rod length before assuming these fit.

What to Know Before You Buy

Buy by your block. This is the B16A rod at 134.37mm. An LS/VTEC or B20/VTEC build takes the 137mm B18A/B/B20 rod, and a B18C GS-R or Integra Type R build takes the 138mm B18C rod. We carry all three SpeedFactory versions, and mixing them up is the most common way a B-series rod order goes wrong.

Plan pistons and rods as one order. The bushed pin end wants aftermarket forged pistons, so if the plan was reusing stock slugs, these are not your rods. The proven combination is these rods, forged pistons, quality bearings from King or ACL, and ARP head studs, which holds serious boost on a proper tune.

The included ARP2000 bolts cover the overwhelming majority of builds. B16s love to rev, so if you're planning a 9,000+ rpm all-motor screamer, have the rod bolt conversation with your engine builder before final assembly. Either way, torque them with the included ARP lube and a stretch gauge, and have your machine shop verify bearing clearances even though the set arrives balanced to within a gram.