Oil Pump Whine After Oil Cooler Install

[MATT_DAMOND]

Hi Everyone, I recently installed an oil cooler on my Mazda, and I'm having some issues I'm trying to diagnose. It's a custom set-up I've made to reduce oil temps at the track. I'm using a Setrab 16 row cooler, SS braided -10 lines, and a Mocal thermostatic sandwich plate.

The car has a factory heat-exchanger cooler, which I'm able to retain, as to heat up the oil quicker for DDing.

Ever since the install, I've noticed a slight whine, that increases as RPMs increase, and also increases as oil temps increase. The whine is coming from the oil pump. Also, I haven't noticed any pressure drop in the system, from my oil pressure gauge.

I found on a Toyota forum, where a guy had the exact same issues after an oil cooler install on his 4-runner. After changing to a thinner viscosity oil, and a different filter, his pump whine was gone.

At the moment, I'm running Shell Rotella T6 5W-40, and quite a small oil filter, due to limited space. I'm wondering if switching to a 0W-30, and a larger filter, will rid the oil pump whine.

If the whine is more noticeable, as the oil temps increase, do you guys think changing to a thinner viscosity oil could cure the whine? Also, could too small of a oil filter cause a restriction, that would result in pump whine?

Any input is imprecated.

-Matt

 

[StevieC]

To me that would sugguest too much restriction.

I don't think it's the cooler but most likely kinking in the hoses or the thermostatic control adapter plate.

By chance did you put on a new oil filter during this install? If so try the filter first... Might just be a coincidental bad filter.

Steve

 

[UNC017]

One possibility is that you're hearing the normal pump's oil pressure pulsations that were always there, but the presence of your new cooler and associated plumbing is just transferring the vibrations to the chassis and makes them more audible.

 

[mechtech2]

I couldn't pin point an oil pump whine if you paid me to.
How can you isolate this? Maybe it's noise from your new parts - caused by oil flow?

 

[3311]

Air trapped in the line or cooler?

 

[MATT_DAMOND]

Originally Posted By: StevieC
To me that would sugguest too much restriction.

I don't think it's the cooler but most likely kinking in the hoses or the thermostatic control adapter plate.

By chance did you put on a new oil filter during this install? If so try the filter first... Might just be a coincidental bad filter.

Steve



The lines are not kinked, it takes quite a bit of force to kink SS braided -10 lines. I also made sure there was plenty of slack in the lines, for when the engine moves.

I've began to wonder if it's the sandwich plate, but it's passages are still fairly large compared to other sandwich plates.

The filter is new, but it is quite small, since I'd like to put on my plastic engine under-tray. I'm gonna first try a larger filter, to see if that cures it, that way, little oil is wasted. If the problem still occurs, I'm gonna try a thinner oil.


Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
One possibility is that you're hearing the normal pump's oil pressure pulsations that were always there, but the presence of your new cooler and associated plumbing is just transferring the vibrations to the chassis and makes them more audible.


That could be the case, but it seems more like an audible noise, rather than a NVH noise.

 

[MATT_DAMOND]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
I couldn't pin point an oil pump whine if you paid me to.
How can you isolate this? Maybe it's noise from your new parts - caused by oil flow?


It's not to hard to differentiate the oil pump whine from other moving parts. It sounds like a power-steering pump low on fluid, or a quiet blower. It has to be the oil pump, since it occurred right after the cooler install, and no other systems were touched. Plus, I used a stethoscope near the pump, while a friend revved the engine.

It could be that the new parts have reduced the oil flow. I doubt it's the cooler or the lines though, since they flow fairly well due to size.


Originally Posted By: 3311
Air trapped in the line or cooler?


The PCV system would ventilate out any trapped air.

 

[StevieC]

Missed the stainless steel line part.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
The PCV system would ventilate out any trapped air.


Yeah, assuming that any air bubble formed can make its way out of the cooler.

Figure out where your pressure sender is located in the pathway. That is, above or below the filter. Then you can better integrate the oil pressure indications.

 

[JimmyChainsaw]

Let me tell you my experience with buzzing noises.
In May 2007 I fitted a bypass filter to my Nissan Navara ute,it has a 2.7 litre diesel.On Ralph Woods advice I used a Permacool sandwich adapter to plumb the hoses to the Motorgard bypass filter.From the moment I started the engine I was aware of a buzzing sound from the engine which hadn't been there before.I thought at first it was the Permacool adptor bypass making the noise so drilled a bypass hole in the adaptor but still the noise persisted.In the end I removed the Permacool and plumbed the hoses with a pressure line and return to the sump,the noise went away.

 

[JimmyChainsaw]

Sorry I think I got timed out,so the story is not quite finshed.When I did the last FF change I happened to look up at the filter head and noticed the bypass valve ball was not sitting properly in the seat,it was protuding from one side.Off came the oil manifold and there was one very worn out filter bypass valve,if I had left it on there long enough it may have popped out past the seat.

 

[JimmyChainsaw]

So to finish my story be very carefull using sandwich adapters when the engine uses a filter head bypass valve,maybe the original posters Mazda is like this.
Sorry I'm so long winded.

 

[MATT_DAMOND]

Thanks for the input Jimmy. From the factory, the car uses a cartridge type filter, and there is no bypass valve in those. I believe the Wix filter I have of the car now, has a bypass valve.

I'm going to head to the store and pick up a filter without a bypass vale, and try it out.

 

[MATT_DAMOND]

EDIT: There is a bypass in the cartridge assembly.

I'm going to try a larger filter and thinner oil, and go from there.

 

[cronk]

I doubt the oil viscosity has anything to do with your noise.
If the noise suddenly appeared after the install of your oil cooler, it has something to do with that.
I think Jimmy is on the right track, probably your sandwich adapter. Either that or vibration pulsing from your braided lines to the chassis.