Do you have rods in your head? I do.

Those support rods are in virtually every block and cylinder head from Chevy, Dodge and Ford that has ever been cast all the way back to the Model T. Modern casting techniques have eliminated the need for them, but they don't affect the cooling in any way. So other than them looking gnarly inside the water jacket there's nothing to be concerned about.
Not true CNC-Dude, I have found a rod stuck into a thermostat once. Did not know where it came from. Thanks to this thread, now I know. I'm 66 and still learning.