How were you able to get the car going from standstill?

I was actually thinking about it being a clutch issue today, but I began ruling it out since I can get the car going pretty smootly by using the clutch.

 

Just sounds like the clutch is broken and not releasing the disk at all. How does the pedal feel?

 

This is my first manual car, and I haven't driven one in a long while so I don't have anything to compare it to. But the first thing I noticed when "test driving" it was how hard it is to push the clutch in. It was way harder than what I remember it being.

Sounds like this will be the issue. How hard is it to repair the clutch?

 

Audi clutches are light so that's definitely a telltale. It's a labor-intensive job but not terribly hard. You're gonna want a friend or two to help though - it's heavy enough to be really awkward for one guy to manipulate.

 

Do you know if it has a stock clutch or a aftermarket? The South Bend clutch kits have a really stiff pedal feel, so it might have one of those.

 

I can't be 100% sure, but I would say that its stock. The previous owners didn't do many mechanical changes outside of the standard dealer maintnance and oil changes.

I will try to find a simillar manual audi in the area so I can compare the clutches. Right now, I would say it's about 5 times stiffer than the throttle pedal.

 

Another observation. When I start the car on a flat surface with the 1st gear engaged, clutch pedal pushed in as far as I can, brakes off, the car starts rolling forward just slightly. Same thing happens in reverse. When I start it in neutral and try shifting into any gear, I can see a slight RPM drop and the car moves slightly. Is this normal?

Is there a good way to test the clutch or the slave cylinder before I start spending $$ on parts I don't need?

 

You can try bleeding the slave using a power bleeder connected to the fluid tank.

 

I have a power bleeder and I was trying to do just that today but I couldn't find anywhere to attach it to. Is clutch fluid tank the same thing as the brake fluid reservoir?

 

Yes the brakes and the clutch use the same fluid reservoir.