Subaru Repair: piston slap, subaru piston slap

Question
My 98 subaru outback is making a loud noise and the dealer said its fine and wont cause any damage to the motor.  I find it extremely annoying though and have the extra money so i was wondering if changing out the pistons would make it go away or not.  I know it has to do with the way the factory pistons for that year are made.  Could i use an after market piston?  I also changed the oil and run synthetic and doesn't seem to help... thanks for your help

Answer
Rich,

Splitting the case half and putting in pistons is not a "do it your self" friendly job. And I would not recommend anyone other than a Independent subaru performance and repair shop.  It would be cheaper to buy a shortblock from Subaru.  

I have never seen an aftermarket piston make any less noise.  The issue is that most pistons used in most makes and models are now skirtless, this is done to try and reduce drag.

As I am not there to listen to the noise, I can't say if it is piston slap or something else.  But I am confused as piston slap usually subsides after the car is warm and you haven't mentioned that in your post.

Justin