1996 4.0 i6 5 speed

I am having a random problem, it's been going on for about a month but I wanted to ride it out and get a better feel for what is going on.

Last week I came up to a red light, downshifted normally to 1st gear.

Had my foot on the clutch pedal, all the way to the floor when I felt the clutch begin to engage and the engine started to lug down. Luckily the light went green for me so I let my foot off the clutch pedal and accelerated, shifted up normally and all is well.

It happened once more, this time I am backing out of my driveway, trans in reverse, clutch pedal to the floor. I was about to shift into 1st and go forward when I felt the clutch engaging in reverse and could not shift into 1st.

This time I had to shut it off, and stop or run off the road.

So that accurately describes the symptoms.

Clutch fluid level looks good, so it's not like I am losing fluid.

I am guessing ( I am no clutch expert ) that perhaps there is a possible leak around the piston in the master cylinder and when I have the clutch pedal in the fluid leaks around the piston and lets the clutch engage.

Does that make sense? Is it possible a similar this could occur in the slave cylinder?

 

its ether the clutch master or the slave bypassing

 

the experiences ive had says its the master. all the bad slaves i have ever seen leak out. if its bleeding off and not losing fluid its the master.