Dipstick looks totally normal. No sludge or anything unusual. I didn’t cut my oil filter in half, but I took it out and looked it over last night and didn’t see anything shiny or metallic.
However, on my drive home from work right now, I was slowing down so the person in front of me could turn. I downshifted. There was, what I am only describe as, a sloppy crunch feeling in the clutch pedal. It didn’t get stuck though, it came back up. But I instantly got hit with that same burning smell I smelled yesterday. It lasted the rest of the drive home without sticking or slipping though, just the smell. Popped the hood but can’t tell where it’s coming from. I know what grease smells like and oil, it’s neither of those. Some new smell that I’ve never smelled on a car before. The clutch does feel different. Looser and easier to push. No visible liquids leaking. At least none that are leaking enough to cause a spill on my garage floor.