"Old Radios" > wrote in message
...
> Did they adjust the valves? After having them adjusted they'll probably
> quiet down a bit, but would get noisy again in a short while. BMW
> engines tend to be pretty clattery, but usually when they warm up they
> smooth out. I know with these engines there's an issue with failure to
> get oil to the cam, but I don't remember the specifics. (Perhaps
> someone else can chime in here?) But if a mechanic looked at it,
> hopefully he'd have noticed. Did they give you an idea of how the cam
> looks as far as wear? What grade of oil are you using? What brand
> filter? It sounds silly, but with Audi's for instance, if you use a
> Fram filter (or something else off the shelf) the 12v 6 will clatter
> pretty badly, but if you put an Audi filter in it quiets down.

I know the E32 735i had a bad banjo bolt design, which would sometimes fail
to deliver oil to the front-most cam lobe. The retrofit is cheap and easy,
with the factory-recommended updated banjo bolt replacement. I'm not sure
if the varient of the motor in a 1980 633 would have that issue also, or
not.

-Russ.