I'm guessing it's a fork or throw out bearing or something, but I'm looking for some insight before I jack it up. When I start from cold (this especially happens in the morning) as I release the clutch going into first I hear a high pitch sound as the transmission struggles to engage. It sounds a bit like burning the clutch (which maybe I am). It doesn't happen in the higher gears and goes away as I drive for a few minutes. I notice it actually is less frequent when I rev a bit higher before letting out the clutch. Is my clutch plate the likely culprit? Throw out bearing? A friend of mine who is a novice stick driver borrowed it recently and it seems to have gotten worse (but it was having this issue prior). I just drove it from the bay area CA to Portland and back with no issue. I'm wondering what the best course of action is ie. what should I check first second and third in ascending order of complexity and cost? Thanks for the help!

 

Honestly, bite the bullet and pull the tranny all the problems point to the clutch you wont be able to fix any of it till you pull the tranny anyway.