I was getting ready to put my junkyard 5mt into my Impreza, and realized the clutch fork from the 2002 trans is too long for the 1996 trans. Should I just order the stock clutch fork for the 1996 transmission and use that? 

Thanks, 
CL 

unless you have upgraded clutch and power, I'd think stock would be OK. If clutch has been upgraded, some stock forks will crack/fail. Some aftermarket companies make heavy duty forks.

96 will be cable. 02 will be hydraulic. You probably want to use the 02 fork. You may or may not have to move the fork pivot ball location. I can't recall. 

GD 

Or, now is your chance to convert that trashy high maintenance hydraulic clutch to cable....  No failed master, slave cylinder, leakage, or annoying fluid changes and bleeding debacles.

I've heard various reports on swapping between the two and the pivot ball locations like GD mentioned but haven't seen or tried enough of both to say for sure either what you'll encounter...

Yes - could swap to cable but IMO that's probably a bad idea from the standpoint of future maintenance. Could be anytime that Subaru OEM clutch cables for the 2001 and older Impreza go NLA in the parts system (and you certainly don't want aftermarket for that part based on EA experience). The hydraulics on the other hand are going to be supported for much longer and in my experience are rarely a problem. 

GD

I can’t remember if the phase 1 gearbox has two pivot ball locations. The phase 2 boxes do for sure and the cable pivot is the one further away from the input shaft.

I put two washers behind my pivot ball (on phase 2 cases) to get better leverage as the clutch fork would max out on the back of the hole it pokes out from. I think it had something to do with an aftermarket TOB that was a couple of mm thinner.

Cheers 

Bennie

6 hours ago, el_freddo said:

I put two washers behind my pivot ball (on phase 2 cases) to get better leverage as the clutch fork would max out on the back of the hole it pokes out from. I think it had something to do with an aftermarket TOB that was a couple of mm thinner.

Cheers 

Bennie

Nuts. How did you notice that?  I feel like I’d just install it like any other clutch and move on. What was your first suspicion to check it out?

19 hours ago, idosubaru said:

Nuts. How did you notice that?  I feel like I’d just install it like any other clutch and move on. What was your first suspicion to check it out?

I didn’t like where the friction point was in the pedal travel, adjusted the cable then the pedal went hard before it hit the floor. That’s when I found out the fork maxing out on the case hole.

Of course it meant the gearbox came out again. And the two washers were guess work.

Which ever fork is used, it will dictate which pivot point to use since the two forks are different. Just sit the fork in there with the TOB and see where the fitment for the pivot lines up  

Cheers

Bennie