A bit embarrassed to be making this post, but I think I've solved the issue...
Other than an oil change I didn't have much maintenance to do over the winter so I didn't tear into the car. Driving it some more this spring I started leaning more towards a MAF (or other air) issue. The transmission feels great through the rest of the gears, and if I let the clutch out slowly I had no issues but the engine seemed bogged down for a second or two before 'catching up' to the gas pedal. This doesn't really lend itself to a transmission issue, so this week I finally found some time to dig into the engine bay and take a look.
My plan was:
- Remove and clean the MAF. I replaced this with a Bosch unit last spring, so I was hopeful this wasn't an issue.
- Remove the throttle body and clean it
- Perform the throttle position calibration / relearn
When I went to remove the throttle body hose clamps they were...
already loose. I forgot to tighten two of them last time I was in there. Talk about a silly mistake. I still cleaned the MAF and throttle body as well as performed the throttle position calibration, but I'd put money on this being the issue. The car was either getting or losing air in between the MAF and the intake, and the 'clutch shudder' I was feeling was just a jerky start due to the engine not knowing what to do on more aggressive starts.
At least it was a cheap fix
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