</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Think "Throwout bearing." )</font>
I would too, except for the fact that 140 hours is an extraordinarily short lifespan for a throwout bearing. If the clutch was adjusted right to begin with, that is.
When you pull the inspection plates, about the only thing you can see to adjust is the gap between the clutch "fingers" and the bearing face. Jinma says 1mm, so you should just barely see daylight between the finger tip and the bearing face. If it's touching, it might explain premature bearing failure. If one or more are actually loose, that will cause grinding noises as well - but have nothing to do with the bearing. Sometimes bringing the finger gap into spec will stop the noise
Check your manual first, as I believe the pedal throw must be correctly adjusted before you fool with the fingers.
//greg//
