Somebody please help me! Here's the scoop: I have a 300td with a 4-speed manual, (factory original) and the clutch won't engage. It started loosing clutch/brake a couple of weeks ago, and like the fool i am, i procrastinated and just kept topping it off. Towards the end i was noticing some shuddering as i put it into 1st and 2nd gear for the first 5 or 10 minutes of driving, then it would seem to get better. Finally last week i lost clutch altogether. I bought new master and slave cylinders thinking it had to be one of them and put them in yesterday. MS went in easy enough, SC bolt pattern turned out to not fit, i ended up pulling out the piston from the new one and installing it in the old SC (seemed to fit fine, moved freely, fluid did not leak out by the piston when i plugged the hole and pushed the piston). I put my "rebuilt" SC back in full of fluid, tried just about every technique for bleeding the line that i read about, and still the clutch wouldn't engage.
Additional information: The old MS definitely had been leaking, (down onto the floor below the pedals) but when i pushed on the piston with a screwdriver it seemed to hold the pressure without leaking.
One more thing: When i removed the old SC there was no evidence of the slotted spacer/gasket that my Haynes manual mentions-the SC was bolted directly to the trans. Also, the old SC prior to my "rebuild" DID leak some fluid around the piston when i plugged the inlet and pushed on the piston.
When all was done and still not working i loosened the nut at the bottom of the MS to make sure it wasn't totally dry in there, and fluid almost squirted out, suggesting that it was at least partially bled. Also, fluid had reached the top of the hose at the reservoir.
Does this seem symptomatic of fluid having gotten into and soaked the clutch? Any guesses? I'd really appreciate some insights. I love this car and want to keep it on the road forever!

Thanks in advance.

Aaron