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In this context, the slop you feel is not actually slop. With the master plunger fully retracted, they hydraulic system is open to the reservoir. You can prove this to yourself by pulling the end of the clutch fork forward to depress the slave plunger. Where does the excess fluid go? Back into the reservoir. The master plunger closes that port/valve in the very first bit of travel as it is depressed.
This is the key to self-adjustment. As the clutch wears, the pressure plate gradually moves closer to the flywheel. The clutch fingers move in the opposite direction, lifting the TOB away from the flywheel, which results in a tiny bit of that motion you just verified by compressing the plunger.
If the master plunger is not allowed to fully retract, the system can't adjust itself because the hydraulic fluid has nowhere to go. Force on the TOB is never relieved and, in the worst case, the clutch itself eventually begins to slip.
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