It would take me 15 mins to prime the oil, I see no harm doing it and 15 mins of my time is cheap, lol.
Oil clings very well but it does run off slowly, 18 months is a while. Priming it will remove the old oil from the bearings. Any moister will be displaced with fresh oil by priming it.
Might not make much of a difference / maybe no difference but I would pull the dist. and the pump gear and run my HD 1/2 drill on the priming rod for a good minute for my peace of mind.