Question for Either TheFermanator or Spareparts or anyone else that might know.

[Destroyer]

Originally Posted by RidgeRunner

I am sure it could be done but think about the 2-stroke OB. They all use roller bearings/ball-bearings for the rotating assembly. Then, the air/fuel/oil gets distributed throughout the crankcase lubricating the bearings. A cam lobe, on the crank would be required, then you would need to find a way to lube it up the friction point to keep it from failing. I prefer the vacuum operated pump, it has been good enough for outboards since the 50's. The mechanical pump still has a diaphragm to fail. Electric on a race boat, Yes! Too complicated for the average fishin boat IMO..

I would think that you would lube it the exact same way that the other bearings are being lubed.... like you described, the gas/oil mixture.
And that's exactly what I'm talking about Ridge...We're using 80+ year old technology. There's GOT to have been something better invented since then.

Understand, I'm not against the vacuum operated pump, I'm just curious as to why we use it and not either a mechanical or an electric one. I know I'm not the first person to ever think about this, so I'm just trying to find out what the reasoning is. I'm trying to learn.

[phatdaddy]

i used to fish with a guy who had an old omc seadrive and when his fuel pump went south, we replaced it with an electrical one. at that time we were told not to do because of grounding issues. on cars and most power equipment, you can ground through the frame. on boat not so. also most elec fuel pump applications are flooded suction situations, where as on a boat you are lifting out of a tank and pushing up to the carbs. as far as i know the elec one was still on the boat when he sold it several years later.

on all of my ditch witchs with wisconsin engines (2 & 4 cyl) i have replaced the old mech arm pumps with elec, because of the cost of wisc parts vs oreily's.

[RidgeRunner]

I know what you mean. The VRO pump bit me a while back on my 90 hp. The diaphragm started coming apart and filled the carbs with debris. Threw the VRO in the round can and went with the still avail. fuel pump only style. KISS method. keep it simple and servicable. (I changed it up a little.)
Electric pumps are a PITA. Been there too. In fact the Optimax and the EFI Merc motors have both a vacuum operated pump and a VST with an electric pump to jump up the fuel psi for injection.
In order to make the mechanical pump work they would literally need to re-invent the wheel. Due to the efficiency of the diaphram pump and its simplicity, that will never happen.