Clutch release (throwout) bearing noise...

Okay...I put in a new clutch and throw out bearing when I swapped in the T-18. Then I converted to a hydraulic clutch release in place of the mechanical linkage. I have the clutch release lever/slave cylinder free play meticulously adjusted so the release bearing rotating face just pulls back off of the clutch fingers. The transmission shifts fine ( for a T-18 ) no gear clash and no noise while the clutch is fully disengaged.
Over the last several days I have started noticing that I can hear the release bearing spin down when the clutch is released. I know it is the release bearing as I can touch the pedal just enough to move the bearing against the clutch fingers and then let the pedal go and the hear the bearing spin down. To me it sounds like the "new" bearing is going bad. I was wondering what other folks think about this?

 

If the throwout bearing is away from the clutch fingers, why should it make any noise? It's resting on the snout of the bearing retainer, and has no contact with anything that's moving.

It's an odd noise that stops when the bearing touches the clutch fingers. Are yo sure that it does not stop when the clutch is actually released? At that point, the transmission input shaft stops spinning, and the front main bearing is no longer spinning.

 

I did buy a new clutch disk/press-plat/t-out bearing kit and while still at the store, opened the box to check the parts. Sure enough the t-out bearing was grease-less and spun very freely. The sales guy said he had never ever seen this before and it was my first as well but it happened. If you put the tranny in gear and the transfer in neutral and do the clutch thingy again and still hear the wind down noise then it has to be the t-out because everything else is still engaged and will not wind down.

 

The noise only occurs for a split second or so after the clutch is released (as the throw out bearing spins down from engine RPM to zero RPM). I fear what I'm hearing is the rattle of dry bearings
I do not recall really spinning the throw out bearing by hand prior to install but as Walt mentions above it almost sounds as if it didn't get any grease from the manufacturer...
I guess to be safe I need to pull the transmission back and replace the throw out bearing (again) since it is riding on a new (rare and hard to find) $100.00 bearing retainer...

I might add here it's probably my own fault for buying a clutch kit with a cheap (probably Chinese) throw out bearing.

 

Bought a Center Force throw out bearing and spent Saturday pulling the transmission back to swap it out. The bearing I removed had absolutely no grease other than the bit I put on the part that slides on the retainer. It could not have been cleaner if I had soaked it in solvent.