240tomax

A few months ago my clutch pedal got very stiff. A month later it also started to make a creaking sound when I pushed the pedal to the floor. This progressed to the point where sometimes the clutch pedal would not come all the way back up. Upon investigating I found the clutch pedal unit that is attached to the firewall was cracked. I replaced this unit and all was well again. However, one of the three spot welds on the new pedal unit failed within a week. I assumed it was just a faulty replacement part and got a new one from Nissan, which I put in today. The second new pedal is just as stiff and makes the same creaking sound. I expect this pedal unit to fail very soon.
Obviously there is something binding. My first thought is a motor or transmission mount could be causing the problem. Also starting a few months ago, I sometimes experience difficulty with the synchro between 1st and 2nd gear if I shift fast. Possibly a linkage issue - not sure. Can these two issues in any way be related?
FYI - the engine was replaced under warranty just after the original stiffness started and the nissan tech noted stiffness on work-order
- car is no longer under warrantee
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated....