Its possible you are getting oil or trans. grease on the linings causing them to stick to the flywheel or pressure plate. I'm not sure what your friend mechanic was referring to. Maybe the pilot brg. They come in bushing or roller brg. A badly worn pilot bushing or brg. could cause this problem. Check engine mounts also. If the engine is shifting around it effects the linkage. The rear mounts on that model are pretty flimsy.
