'Chirping' noise at idle/in neutral when cold

[Mjit]

So I have what I can best describe as a chirping noise in my Mk IV Spitfire - but only in neutral at idle and only really when cold.  It's hard to pinpoint the noise but it seems to come from dead ahead of the driver, around the steering column - but I can't feel any similar vibrations from the column and no pushing/pulling in any direction on the wheel has any affect on the noise.  Reasting my foot on the clutch pedal remove it, as does rasing RPM over 1,000.

I thought at one point it was the bonnet rubbing on the seal that runs across the leading edge of the bulkhead but actually had it happen when I was able to press down on the bonnet and it didn't go away/no vibration at the same frequency.

The steering chaft bushes are both only a couple of years old and upgrated ones, probably from James Paddocks.

Anyone have any ideas - considering the other thing that seem to make it stop is be being able to get anywhere to mark and investigate when it happens!  Waiting at traffic lights 50m from Halfords yesterday = doing it.  Pull up in Halfords car park yesterday = not doing it any more.😩

[Pete Lewis]

this sounds like the common effect of the throwout bearing skidding on the diaphragm fingers  

cause is usually stiff bearing, misalignment work withdrawl forks , lack of slave cyl spring  loading  etc,

if the chirping stops with a light finger on the pedal then , thats the canary  

Pete