Thanks for your suggestion.
Found the cause of the problem today. This issue catalyzed my 3L project which is now 40% complete.
Wanted to follow up this post for future searchers that may experience the same thing:
FYI, I believe I could've seen this if I had actually used a light and looked into the dustcover on the bellhousing. With a small inspection mirror, it would've been possible to diagnose this issue. With a magnet, possibly to have fixed it.
Massiv. 
