My 1993, 300 D, 602-962 cranks immediately. It sounds like a sewing machine for the first minute then begins to smoke profusely and skip, and it begins to hammer. It skips as if it's being flooded but after about five minutes it smooths out and stop smoking. However, it still has a lot of hammering noise. Every cylinder responds the same way when I loosened the injector line as if you pull a spark plug wire from a gasoline engine. I held a stethoscope against each injector and number one and three made a definite pinging noise. I noticed some bubbles coming from around the outside of the pre-chamber holddown screw on injector number three. The engine runs good after about five minutes, but the hammering noise is still there.

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.
Stark

Mileage on the Engine?
Color of the smoke?
Did the smoke smell like Oil burning or Diesel Fuel?

I am guessing that it is running OK until the Glow Plugs turn off (I think your model has the After Glow so it stays on for a while) and starts smoking after the GPs are off. After that it cntinues smoking until the Engine temp is us up (Pre-chamber is now hotter) and the smoking decreases.
This seems to point to something in the Pre-chamber not causing the Fuel to burn porperly.
Unfortunately it could be several things assuming the Fuel itself is OK.
Injectors not atomizing well; worn out
A IP timing problem (due to Chain Stretch, the IP Timer Having a problem or???)
Even though it starts OK I would not entirely rule out some compression issue (Burned valves could also cause this).

If it was me I would pull what my best guess was the worst 1 or 2 Injectors and have it Pop-Tested.

In general the only 2 places something can burn and produce exhaust smoke is the combustion chamber and the exhaust system (Turbo leaking Oil, Valve Stem Seals?).

__________________
84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Sounds familiar! Mine was exhibiting the same symptoms. I ran a can of purge through it and it was unbelievable how smooth and quiet it ran while on the purge, but when I hooked it back to the tank, it ran like junk again. That made me suspect the fuel, so I ran it off the purge bottle full of diesel from a different source...no help. I pulled the the injectors and they are under BG Kast's care as we speak. I'm not sure, but I think my nozzles were original (220K) If yours are, then their time has likely come. I'm not certain that is what my problem was/is, but we will all know soon.
Good Luck

__________________
1990 124,128 602,962

Beware the hobby that eats.
Benjamin Franklin

My 602 had a couple of bad hydraulic lifters once. I wouldn't say this is or isn't likely a problem in this case, but I don't see it mentioned as often as burnt valves, IP timing, etc. In fact I don't ever recall it being discussed.

__________________
1987 W201 190D

AND DAMNED USLD.

__________________
'84 300SD sold
124.128

Thanks for the advice I received for my problem. One statement made by Diesel 911 stood out in my mind "... assuming the fuel is okay". After spending a lot of time testing the injectors and other things I decided to run the fuel almost out of the fuel tank entirely and refill the fuel tank at a different location. After I refilled the fuel tank with fresh diesel fuel at a different location, within 10 miles the car engine smoothed out and ran perfectly. It no longer knocks, pings, skips or gives any problem when I crank it up or at any time.

The moral of this story is to remember to always check the simple things first.

Thanks for all the help, Stark

Glad to hear of the comprehensive resolution.

Treat it to a Diesel Purge dessert and it will never let you down.

__________________
Gary
Experience is something you get, Just after you needed it....
'99 E300 295K, '83 300D 220K, '75 240D 185K sold
'80 MCI Bus Conv DD 6V92TA, w/4 cyl. Kubota diesel GenSet 12.5KW