Did you try spraying brake cleaner into the clutch gap to degrease it? My clutch was smoking and cutting in and out a while back but did not squeal or make any noise. Upon inspection, it was all oily on the outside from a previous bad valve cover oil leak (not from refrigerant leak). I sprayed the gap with brake clean = no more smoke or cutting in / out of the clutch.

__________________
85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 167,870 July 2025
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked