In trying to determine what's causing my knocking/smoking engine (Officially bummed: knocking 92 300D 2.5T), I pulled the injectors and discovered that #1 was oil soaked. When I turned the engine over w/o the injectors installed, sure enough, oil, shot out of #1. I am guessing this is a head gasket failure similar to gsxr's, but I want to understand the symptoms as best I can. Would/could a breached head gasket also cause loud knocking? My car smokes and knocks within a few seconds of startup -- I'd say within 15 seconds. Until then it behaves normally, and it still starts easily.

I am hoping to hear that it's not uncommon to have a bad head gasket cause knocking. I would be delighted to get away with removing and checking the head and throwing a new gasket in!

As always, thanks in advance for any input.

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1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

If the knocking resolves after warm up, it could be a gasket leak. Excess oil sucked into the chamber could effect proper ignition. Or, lowered compression on that cylinder due to the HG leak results in poor combustion until the engine is warmed up and the leak is constricted and higher temps improve ignition.

either way, after soiling an injector with oil for all that time, it should be rebuilt.

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Oh yes, new nozzles were on my to-do list even before the head gasket gave up the ghost. Thanks for the reply!

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1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)

Engine oil getting into the combustion chamber would cause pre-ignition, which would make itself know with knocking and smoke.

IIRC this is common failure on the OM602, and the effected cylinder is #1 - all of you symptoms point to a failed head gasket.

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98 Dodge-Cummins pickup (123k)
13 GLK250 (135k)
06 E320CDI (323K)
16 C300 (62K)
82 300GD Gelaendewagen (54K)

This is kind of what I was thinking (and hoping); thank you!

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1992 300D 2.5T
1980 Euro 300D (sadly, sold)
1998 Jetta TDI, 132K "Rudy"
1974 Triumph TR6
1999 Saab 9-5 wagon (wife's)