Getting harder and harder to place into gear. Also, when the clutch is disengaged (pedal down), I will hear a louder noise, sounds like something is rubbing on something

Hi there,

The sound you hear, is it a whining, popping, grinding, scraping or rattling sound?
If you drive a manual transmission vehicle and notice a grinding noise, it can indicate the clutch gear is no longer disengaging correctly.

Bearing gone in trans or a tooth missing off the cluster.

the gear grinding noise is because the clutch plate is not fully disengaging and the input shaft is still driving. If you did not use the same length of push rod then the slave cylinder is not moving enough to disengage the clutch. Check it out that with the pedal on the floor the piston in the slave cylinder should be almost to the edge of the slave cylinder . That is where It should be to be working properly

Sounds like the release bearing , with the clutch pedal pushed bearing would be disengaged and would not make any noise.

You must have an old jeep if you have linkage at all...newer ones have a hydraulic clutch. But, if you have linkage, just keep lengthening the rod till the clutch disengages when you step down on the pedal. If it will not work then something is wrong with the clutch itself (bad throwout bearing etc) and it will need to come apart to find the problem.

you have 2 choices either the clutch is not disengageing properly or the gearbox is shot.put the car in first,put the clutch pedal down, then start the car and if its trying to pull away before you take you foot of the clutch you have you answer....if its the clutch cable you can adjust it..

This depends as dose it do it when cold or hot.
2nd when you push in pedal and put in gear dose it go in clean or hard to select 3rd can you hear a grinding noise when pushing in pedal and noise goes
when you take you foot off the clutch pedal IF so then its the thrust bearing on clutch REPLACE ALL .4th if you push in clutch pedal and select a gear and let the clutch out if drive right out (replace)

prolly a hydraulic problem master os slave cylinder leak ck your fluid takes dot 3 brake fluid , also you can put in gear hold the pedal down usually if the fiber substance is gone from the clutch disk the car will not move while cranking if the car moved then its a hydraulic problem , note to self try this with nothing in front of the car it might start up in gear if that happens you will have to immediately turn the engine key off , if the fiber is gone while running you can put trans into any gear while running without pedal inguaged , hope this helps

Without hearing noises first hand it is very hard to diagnose.

Things to check from the description you gave:

- Heatshields/Exhaust
- Thow-out bearings will make noise depending on the clutch pedal being engaged/disengaged. The noise will come and go as you move the pedal in or release it.

I would rule out the CV joints if the noise happens while moving straight. CV joints will click while turning when they go bad.

sounds like the clutch bearing gone bad.