[alfa] GTV6 Intermittent Grunching from Standstill

["Herbert Neily" <neily@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi All,
   After nearly four years of GTV6 ownership, I've grown very accustomed to
the brief pause that's needed between pushing in the clutch pedal and
selecting either first gear or reverse.
   From time to time, I find that I can't shift from neutral into first or
reverse without grinding gears.  This occurs even if I've pushed in the
clutch pedal for 15, 30, or 45 seconds.  It seems that the clutch is not
fully disengaging.  I'm puzzled by the randomness and intermittency of this
problem.  The latest bout with this prompts me to seek the Digest's advice.
  The problem occurs independent of ambient temperature and without regard
to how long or far I've driven
  If this were a constant problem, I'd assume that I have an adjustment
problem or a fault in the clutch's hydraulic system.
  If I had air in the system, I would expect the problem to be constant.  I
have fully bled the system using a pressure bleeder, with the slave cylinder
bleed screw at the top (!) of the cylinder, and have purged the slave
cylinder by forcing the cylinder rod home while bleeding.  The pedal feels
normal and most of the time the clutch action is fine.
  The fluid level in the master cylinder never changes and I can't see any
obvious leakage, so I assume that I don't have leak out of the system.  Is
it possible to have a master cylinder *internal* leak that can cause this
behavior while still maintaining the system's overall fluid level?
   I'm tempted to replace the master cylinder, slave cylinder, and flexible
line all at once.  Before I do, I wonder if anyone can point out the obvious
or not-so-obvious cause of the problem.  Thanks.
Bert Neily
Raleigh, NC, USA
'84 GTV6 with very uncool grunching.
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