Your discription of the noise your clutch is making leads me to believe you may have a throwout bearing issue. As you depress the pedal the TO bearing relieves the clamping force of the pressure plate and is spinning to match engine speed. The noise (growling) could be the bearing or maybe the TO bearing is making contact on the pressure plate in the wrong area. The TO bearing and clutch fork are the only things moving. I did see one time that a new pressure plate and old fork rubbed. There should be a inspection cover on the bellhousing. Take a look inside. Good luck.
Ron
