Hello,
I have an 88 Alfa Spider.  My clutch pedal was failing to engage the
clutch and also failed to return to it's normal position (would stay
close to the floor).  This is a well known problem with Alfas, when the
clutch pedal pivot shaft (or sometimes called pin) is failing.

I removed the pedal assembly and found out that the Clutch pedal pivot
shaft was broken. I got a new one and replaced it.
I proceeded to bleed the line.  As the pedal started picking up some
resistance I noticed that the pedal will (again) not return to its
normal position.  I took the pedal assembly off the car and noticed
that the clutch pedal pivot shaft was twisted out of its original
alignment (the weld was intact but the shaft part seemed that it got
twisted near the weld).  With some efford, I could pull the pedal back
up (to its normal position) and noticed that shaft will move but the
linkage will not move.  It is obvious that the shaft part near the weld
was giving-up (hard to believe, since this is about .5 inch thick).

I called the shop where I bought the part from.  The guy there said
that if the new clutch pedal pivot shaft failed I may have a slave
cylinder that is frozen or stuck.  In this case the master cylinder
parts would not be able to move, and the pressure I put with my foot on
the pedal may be large enough to break the clutch pedal pivot shaft
assembly.

Anybody out there had a similar experience?  Any info would be
appreciated.

Thanks.