Is my clutch on the way out?

[R11ysf]

Driving home today the Tuscan started to play up. The clutch wasn't slipping (5th gear at 40mph, floor it and it pulled fine) but it started juddering when stopped in first with the clucth fully down. With the clutch down it was trying to pull forward on its own. It was also sometimes a bit tricky to get into gear.

Is this a slave or master cylinder on the way out? Also it wasn't doing it all the time only sometimes when in traffic.

Thoughts please?

[littleredrooster]

Certainly sounds like it is not disengaging fully for some reason. Easiest place to start is the release mechanism. If it's cable, check the free-play adjustment. If hydraulic, check fluid level. If the level has dropped, summat is wrong with either the master or slave cylinder; this is generally the seals, or, exceptionally, a corroded pipe which has started to weep.

Beyond that, you are looking at big mechanical stuff; broken finger on the diaphragm spring, delaminated clutch friction plate, distorted or loose flywheel (!) or, in the worst case that I have come across, knackered crank thrust bearings.