So I have 1,000 miles on my motor. There was always a rhythmic whir-whir-whir or creak-creak-creak sound that I could hear with the engine idling. Because it was at a cadence that was slower than the idle RPM, I assumed it was just a belt.

Today I had the car up on a lift while idling, and the noise is loudest just behind the crank pulley. Is it normal for oil pumps to be audible like this? It is pretty loud in that it is easy to discern when the engine is idling.

Oil pump clearances were all within spec. The housing was smooth.

If I can find a decent mic I'll record it.