Fuel pump for a motor vehicle

A motor vehicle fuel pump comprising:

• a tubular housing having a longitudinal centerline;
• an electric motor in said tubular housing including an armature shaft having a cylindrical pump end;
• a roller vane positive displacement pump in said tubular housing including
• a flat inner side plate nearest to said electric motor having an access opening therein surrounding said pump end of said armature shaft,
• a flat outer side plate furthest from said electric motor having a plain bore therein surrounding said pump end of said armature shaft and separated therefrom by a first annular clearance, and
• a rotor between said inner and said outer side plates having a centerbore therein around said pump end of said armature shaft separated therefrom by a second annular clearance;
• and
• a T-shaped sleeve bearing supporting said pump end of said armature shaft on said outer side plate for rotation about said longitudinal centerline of said tubular housing including
• a tubular body having a shaft bore therethrough defining a bearing for said pump end of said armature shaft,
• a stepped outer wall on said tubular body including a large diameter part in said first annular clearance force fitted in said plain bore, and
• a small diameter part in said second annular clearance spanning the thickness of said rotor so that said rotor is supported on said outer side plate for rotation about said longitudinal centerline of said tubular housing, and
• a lip on said tubular body at an end of said large diameter part of said outer wall thereof having a side defining an annular seat in a plane perpendicular to said tubular body engaged flush against an outside surface of said outer side plate.