The biggest thing that synthetic oil did was to allow a wider span in the xxwyyy range. With a lower "xxx", the oil will get to the upper valve train MUCH faster. Exxon once did some research on this by putting engines in a cold (-40 F/C) room. They used various oils in the crankcases. They installed a see-through valve cover on the 4 cylinder engine. ONLY a 0wxx oil would get oil to the valve train more or less instantaneously. All the other oils produced valve train smoke.
Think all oils retain an oil layer on parts, but unless you get continuously flow to high rub stress areas, there will be smoke before and at startup from friction on parts. Very likely, there was also smoke on the ring-to-cylinder area as well.
All they need to do is to have an electric oil pump like the one now in most fuel tanks in both gasoline and diesel vehicles. Just have the motor external and project into an internal shaft. No expensive "pre-lube" system needed.
Ralph