can anyone out there tell me if the pistons are the same for the 239 ford and the 255 merc? they both have the same bore,but i wonder about the pin height.any recommendations on a good mild camshaft?this is the first flathead i have ever played with.parts seem to be scarce and expensive!i have access to a edelbrock 4bbl manifold,and wonder if these work ok.any info is appreciated.

I suggest you get Ford flathead V8 builders handbook by Frank Oddo, Fisher books $20 It has modern info on flatheads. A lot of new flathead parts are made of modern metals {silicon pistons} etc. this book gives you a lot of good info. I"m not sure but I think pin height would be higher on the Merc pistons 4" stroke verses 3 3/4" on the Ford. try Motor City Flatheads in Michigan, [313] 529-3363
Dave

Hey Purod,
The Ford and Merc pistons have the same diameter but the pins in the Merc are suppose to be 1/8 in. higher to accomodate the crankshaft which has a longer stroke. The Merc stroke is 4 in. while the Ford stroke is 3 3/4 in. If you use the Ford pistons with a Merc crank the pistons will run into the head. You can also use the Merc pistons on a Ford crank but you'll be loseing some displacement.
Good luck with the Flathead,
they're fun engines.
Green Hornet