So I got a new clutch and flywheel installed at a dealer last week, and as I drove off I noticed there was 3" of free play in the clutch pedal. It was kinda fun to drive around that way, biting point close to the floor and everything, and I didn't think much about how it could be a bad thing - after all, many cars have biting points close to the floor, right?
Well anyway, today I take it in to another shop and by chance the mechanic said that 3" of free play is extremely bad. Searching around the forums here, I've come to the same conclusion too - thinking back on it, it was kind of hard to shift into 5th gear at times.
Plus, for the last 8 days there would be this weird smell coming from the clutch/transmission every time I drove - I thought that was just something that new clutches do - but now I should have caught on that something went wrong!