1985 745t m46

Lately I've been experiencing some wierd problems with the clutch in my brick and was hoping someone could provide some insight.

I rarely play the clutch (to avoid wearing it out), but do so when I need to build up some power in a particular gear for a very quick but controlled acceleration (changing lanes from a stopped lane to one moving at a rapid clip on the highway comes to mind). Anyway, when I have done this recently I have noticed that after I fully disengage the clutch the car still seems to be slightly out of gear. The clutch releases very slowly, and it sometimes will only fully release if I re-engage and disengage the clutch pedal.

I've encountered a number of clutch issues over the years, from a clutch that won't take the car out of gear to one that won't move an inch. However, I've never had a clutch that only releases very slowly, and am wondering if this is an early sign of clutch death spiral. What might cause the clutch to stick or release like this?

Any insight is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for the help.

-rt