Sometimes that's the best thing you can do. Some people can get carried away and kill something with kindness, or create a problem looking for a solution to a problem they might not have. I'm not saying that was the case here, just bringing out a point.
You must be joking, this is an online forum ! /sYep ... don't mess with what's not broken.
You must be joking, this is an online forum ! /s
Clogged turbo banjo screens aren't a concern for your motor, so no need to worry there. They're not really a concern for modern turbo Subaru's in general actually.
The 2.5 and 2.0 Subaru motors seem to make a noticeable amount of timing chain noise upon a dry startup (have two in the family now) perhaps that's what you're hearing. You also mentioned that you're new to Subaru's, and maybe you're just experiencing what a cold flat subaru engine sounds like?
It's a unique sound and definitely louder than most other designs and I can completely see how people would think they have a lifter tick or piston slap issue as the motor reaches operating temps, but it's almost always perfectly normal. We have a crosstrek, forrester XT and outback 3.6 in the family and they ALL sound like that when cold upon startup and are even inherently a bit louder than other designs when at temp even.
If the filter is ever draining back between starts, a bigger filter could make it take even longer to build up oil pressure, depending on it's orientation.
I would be hesitant about a 15W-50. 15w is roughly 3x thicker than a 5w, and you are worried about dry/cold starts? Doesn't sound like the right direction. Thats going to take longer to get moving.
At what temperature?
I was asking about your statement saying that a "15W" is roughly 3x thicker than a "5W".
Also not practical across the spectrum … 0w50? … go find that at Walmart … I recently posted the SDS for Mobil 1 Racing 0w50 … whole bunch of PAO yet not formulated for long range street use …
