Should I pre lube or let er rip?

Getting some oil into the 100% dry oil pump should be priority #1, if you can do that you can safely crank with the plugs out to build pressure.

Pete. (l33t FS) said:

All engines can be prelubed, even if it's just rigging a pressurized tank of oil and using a rubber tipped blow gun on its outlet hose to blow it in to the oil filter fitting before you screw a filter on.  Threaded port is always the way in to the engine.

This won't help the oil pump, but it does ensure that the galleries and everything are full.

 

If you go in through an oil passage plug, this WILL get oil into the pump, through the filter.  I used to do Subaru engines this way, right on top of the engine at the pressure switch port.

So theoretically you could punch (not drill, so no flakes/chips) a hole in the side of a cheap filter and pump oil in to get oil to the pump and oil passages. Then replace the filter before cranking. 

Right?

In reply to No Time :

That's a good idea, unless there's an external access plug somewhere between the pump and the filter it might be the most direct route to the pump too.