I had the same Problem. The Whirring noise is your Throw-out bearing. Did you replace it before? If not It the bearings probably got loose instead of be packed together. And as for your shifter tapping. I stick two small gaskets at the end of the Second Linkage where it bolts up to the tranny by a bolt. It decreases the slack and room for the linkage to move. I haven't had a problem since. Let me know if it worked.