Top Guided vs Bottom Guided Rods

[Murry]

How can top guided vs bottom guided rods be identified? Are they interchangable?

[Dave Strong]

How can top guided vs bottom guided rods be identified? Are they interchangable?

I'm sure someone will give the casting #'s. Bottom guided are slightly thicker at rod end, .812" vs .712" on top guided. Bottom guided have steped washers on piston end, top are flat. Thats from the manual, sure there's easy way.
Dave

[mrcrsr]

not always the case, seen bottom guided measure .712/.812 and used an oddball piston to make the difference w/ flat washers, best way is to measure both ends(should be .712), when it comes to casting numbers, the big rods should be measured because they could be had either way, but in small rods, casting numbers ending in 141 are top guided, also, another thing to note, if you look on the other side of the rod(from the casting number) there will be a 2 digit number, this is a weight grouping number(ie 30,31 32,etc). try to match up a set of rods within 1 number up or down, it effects the balance of the engine