Early Dodge 6 cyl. offset connecting rods ?

[040under]

I bot some early dodge 6 rods for a chevy engine project, and when I received them, they had an offset at the big end - why for ???  Bill

[Oldtech]

Actually fairly common. I'm sure others used offset, like Hudson. It was so that cylinders could be "paired"  and still have room for wider bearings on the crank.

Edited January 30, 2021 by Oldtech (see edit history)

[040under]

Thanks, I  C

[keithb7]

Siamese pairing. Coolant does not flow between all adjacent cylinders. Font of block, and rear of block allow for coolant to cross flow form left side of block to right. Also between cyls 2&3 and 4&5.  However between cylinders 1&2, 3&4, and 5&6, that is not so. Coolant does not cross flow. Those cylinders are closer together. So off set con-rods are necessary. See pic and look at the different spacing between cylinder pairs. My understanding is this siamese design also leads to some hotter spots in the engine. Some valves may run hotter than others.  I suspect this is why the Chrysler engineers instruct us to set the valve lash when the engine is at full operating temperature.