Mitsubishi Repair: Transmission, clutch master cylinder, seperate occasions

Question
Hi
I have a 1993 Mitsubishi Eclipse 1.8L manual.  On two seperate occasions over the last few weeks. I have had problems with the clutch not fully disengaging.  When I push in the clutch, it still tries to pull.  It's kind of like having the clutch half way out.  I have never had any problems with the clutch before this.  It is full of fluid. And It doesn't seem to be leaking.  After pushing the clutch in several times, and power shifting, it acts fine, like it never happened.  The last time it happened, I had been driving around town doing errands.  When I came back out to the car to leave, It did it.  So the car was warmed up, and had been doing fine, and then after the little episode, it was fine again.  The clutch still has full pressure and doesn't feel any different when this happens.  Any ideas?  Thank You very much.  Darrin

Answer
Darrin,
It's possible your clutch master cylinder is starting to go bad.  This is not uncommon, but it can be a pain to replace.  Excessively dirty or moisture laiden clutch fluid can also cause this problem.  If you want, you can take care of two birds with one store.  Pick yourself up a rebuild clutch master cylinder kit from the dealership, and this will give you a chance to drain your old fluid out and replace with fresh fluid.  Or, you can have a mechanic rebuild it for you.  The kit really only consists of a couple springs, gaskets and plungers.

Your worst case scenario is that your pressure plate and/or throw-out bearing on your clutch has worn out.  If you're on your original clutch or have put over 75,000 miles on the clutch you have now, it may be time to replace your clutch assembly.  There are several aftermarket vendors that sell clutch kits (pressure plate, throw-out bearing, and clutch disc) for your car.
Good luck!