Abstract: Apparatus and method for protecting a producing oil well's sucker rod string from wear as the rod string reciprocates in the well's tubing string. Each rod guide has a network of passages encased within the body of the rod guide. As the sucker rods and rod guides move up and down through the tubing string, produced fluid is channeled through tunnels in the passages to exit ports from which the fluids are discharged at high velocity away from the guide. The fluid exits with suffficient force to push the rod string away from the tubing string at each exit port. In this way the streams of fluid tend to centralize the rod string near the center of the tubing string thereby averting contact between not only the rod string and the tubing string, but also between the guide itself and the tubing string. The discharged fluid also provides lubrication between the guide and tubing string in the event that contact between the components does occur.