Noticeable RPM-based Whine

[Joethefallen23]

I can't seem to track my issue down. I yanked the oil pan two days ago to seal it back up. It had been leaking onto the downpipe causing all sorts of wonderful odors. Obviously I needed to yank the transfercase. I always kept it upright and no fluid leaked out.

I threw the pan back on and re-installed the downpipe and transfercase. Waited 24 hours and filled the pan with fresh oil. I yanked the fuel pump connector and primed it before fully starting. Upon start up, I got the usual dry lifter ticking while they filled back up.

After letting it idle for about 15 mins, I took it out for a spin to bed in the new pads and rotors. While accelerating and decelerating, I heard a noticeable whine slightly similar to that of a super charger. I pull back into the driveway and free rev to 4k+ in park. The noise is indeed there and sounds almost as if it's coming from the mid-upper portion of the center console when parked.

Turbo checked out good. Trans hasn't given me a problem at all. The transfercase has me suspicious considering I had to take it off (although this is about the 5th time I've had it off). Frankly, I'm stumped. The car drives fine, there's just now a somewhat faint yet noticeable whine that wasn't there before sealing up the pan and swapping pads + rotors. It's much louder in park when free-revving. I did put the smaller bolts back in their corresponding holes and quadruple checked the TB for scoring associated with the sound. Any ideas?

 

[Purex2c]

My carrier bearings started whining when they started to go.

 

[WES_393]

Sounds like an alternator/voltage issue to me. The one and only Mitsu alternator I had fail made a whining noise when it was dying, which was somehow transmitted into the cab. Even with the stereo completely off you could hear a faint whining noise coming from that area. Once replaced it along with a new battery the noise went away.

So I'd check all the wires and belt tension, maybe even try running the engine for a minute without the alternator belt on to rule it out completely. Just keep a battery charger close!

 

[marineeagle28]

Is the whine coming from your speakers by chance? If so, that is a dead giveaway symptom that you have a "ground loop"

 

[Twinturbo120]

Give it some revs while near the engine bay and listen to the water pump.

 

[Joethefallen23]

I've feel that I've narrowed it down to the engine side for sure. Alternator is a reman and only about a month old but frankly we all know the quality of some of these remans. I've had the original oem alt fail and a reman with no whine so I never had cause to suspect it. Just blown voltage regulators. I assume the whine is the shaft bearings? I'm starting to suspect the PS pump as a possibility. I'll have to yank the belts and give it test. It's almost impossible to hear in the engine bay. WP is a new gates along with all oem timing components and evo ix belt all done less than 4k. It's very pronounced at 4k rpm while inside the car with the doors closed and in neutral/park. Cruising down the road, it's very faint but still noticeable as the engine climbs. It doesn't come from the speakers. It strictly comes from the direction of the radio/vent console when I'm parked and sort of becomes a background noise when cruising.

 

[Joethefallen23]

Whelp, turned out to be the shaft bearing for the power steering pump. I was able to finally pin point it today. IS it possible to just source a new bearing? If not, I can grab another pump cheap.

 

[TurboLaserRS]

My car also whines pretty loud on startup. I've never figured it out and it's been running that way for over a year. Doesn't seem to bother anything. My power steering pump is burnt up though, I just havent cut the belt yet. Maybe I'll do that and see if the sound goes away. For some reason I think mine has something more to do with the top end of the motor, like the lifters being the original 1g ones and being cruddy and noisy.