the clutch appears to be working. there is pressure just like normally when i push it down. when i throw the gearshift into first, it's as if two points aren't meeting and the car does not go into gear. when i try to put it into gear with the shifter, that's when i hear the whirring noise and can't get it in gear.

i am still going with some kind of mount theory. could this just be a bad bearing somewhere?