synthetic vs. traditional

[mi72duster]

Hi all,
I'm sure this has been discussed b4. Is synthetic better than traditional oil?
Also would 10w-40 be a good choice for my street 318 with a mild cam?

 

[Coyote Jack]

Synthetic oil is a very slippery oil that is designed for roller cams. It has a tendency to run off of the cam lobes if the engine sits for any length of time. Also it has a very low zinc content in most cases. If you have a flat tappet cam a better choice of oil would be a traditional type of oil and add some kind of zinc additive to it. I use Quaker State 10W-30 and add a 1/2 litre of Comp Cams break in additive with every oil change. I wiped 2 cams before going this route and none since.

Jack

 

[mi72duster]

Thanks Jack