Abstract: An improved internal gear pump design is provided whereby the head plate includes a groove located vertically above the crescent for providing improved axial feed to the roots or innermost spaces between the idler teeth. The design of the pump also includes a stepped shaft design whereby the radius of the shaft immediately adjacent to the rotor is greater than an adjacent outboard section of the shaft. As a result, a chamber for housing the seal assembly is defined as the space between the stepped shaft portion, the annular seal plate, the outboard section of the shaft that has a lesser or reduced diameter, and the casing. The casing may also include a recess for providing sufficient space for the seal assembly. The larger section of the shaft is accommodated in a bushing mounted to the inside surface of the casing. The inside diameter of the bushing is large enough to accommodate the larger stepped portion of the shaft as well as the outside diameter of the seal assembly.