All,
You can soak the Oilite (it is a brand name) in engine oil and it certainly will do not harm. However the Oilite bearing supplied in the USA, and I suspect elsewhere, are sold pre-impregnated with SAE 30W oil. They are not by any means 'oily' to the touch and appear quite dry, even when machined. But if you get them hot you will notice them 'sweat' oil. Nor can you see the pores in the material by the unaided eye, so the volume of oil in consideration being so small an minutely distributed, it is not surprising they do not arrive 'dripping'.
As mentioned it will do no harm to oil them, but the success of actually driving more oil into the pores, even by vacuum, is dubious and I never bother. And just because it is oil-impregnated, does not mean you are relived of having to lubricate it in the normal course of use. It is not miracle bronze! Remember the Oilite is just to offer the additional protection over and beyond the normal greasing. The original ball thrust bearing could get by with a very minimal amount of lubrication. An advantage considering you were pumping it into the center of the clutch!
On point that bears repeating from another post on this same thrust bearing replacement, is if you do machine the sintered bronze on the thrust faces, be sure to use a keen tool, else you will smear over and seal the surface pores entrapping the impregnated oil. So until the surface wears away, you will have nothing better than a standard bronze washer.
-Doug