[Rob-O]

Well, I've said it before and I'll say it again. It isn't always the clutch master or slave cylinders. There is an easy way to check this.

Push in on your clutch until you get your desired problem of the sticking pedal. Now, jack the car up (if you haven't already) and look into the inspection hole right next to the clutch slave cylinder. Has the clutch throwout bearing release arm (the thing the slave cylinder comes into contact with) released. In other words, has it come back to it's resting position. It's resting position would be towards the back of the vehicle. If it hasn't, then there is a problem with the clutch.

Here's what happens. When you push in on the clutch, it pushs on the fluid through both cylinders, which causes pressure on the release arm. The release arm pulls on the throwout bearing and releases the clutch. When you're done with the shift, the pressure plate releases it's tension, thereby causing the release arm to move back to it's resting position. The pressure plate is spring loaded, so when it moves back into position after you release the pedal, it's force will push against the arm that is sticking out of the slave cylinder. That will push your pedal back up, with the help of the spring located in the footwell.

So...you're under the car, looking up at this thing. If there is no tension between the clutch slave cylinder arm that makes contact with the clutch release arm, then it's your clutch that is getting stuck. Does this happen? You bet. And it's not really the clutch. It's your throwout bearing/guide tube. Your throwout bearing is getting hung on the guide tube, and since it probably hasn't been greased since the car left Stuttgart, there's a pretty good chance the stuff has dried out. Ask anybody who has done a cluch job on these things and they'll tell you the grease on the guide tube was close to being as hard as a rock.

However, on the good side. If you still have tension against these two items (the clutch slave cylinder and the release arm) then you may be alright and a replacement of one of the components will do the trick. Although I've seen folks change the master, then a week later change the slave, just to have the master fail again in two months, and of course then the slave goes again...and on and on. If you're in doubt, or short on cash, take the clutch slave out first, then pull it apart. It's easy. If you find it defective, then you solved the problem. If not, then maybe work on pulling the master, disassembling it and checking it out. If it isn't either...

But Justin, is it still driveable? I drove mine for about a year like this, constantly pulling the pedal up with my toes, for about a year and a half. Eventually the clutch had to be replaced. But again, that's my car. Your's may be simple...let's hope so.