The displacement of the variable displacement pumps can be adjusted by changing the swivel angle of the swash plate. In fact, the swivel angle oscillates because of the oscillating torque on the swash plate, which caused by the pressure fluctuation of the piston chamber. The swivel angle is most often considered as a constant value in previous studies. However, the oscillation of the swash plate leads to an additional movement of the piston, which has an impact on the pressure fluctuation and the flow ripple. In this study, an improved model of a self-supplied variable displacement pump is established. The swash plate oscillation under different operating conditions is presented. In order to investigate the effect of the swash plate oscillation on the pressure ripple, a comparison between the case of the fixed swash plate and the oscillated swash plate is conducted. Results show the pressure ripple with an oscillated swash plate shows a smaller pressure ripple. It also shows that the nine pistons and the control mechanism both affect the pressure ripple and flow fluctuation.