[Vwdiesel] loud clacking in Jetta turbo diesel

[Steckly.Gary at ic.gc.ca]

I'm closing in on my very first diesel purchase, and it is now between an
'89 Jetta Turbo with 305k for about 1200 CDN, which needs a clutch right
away -  or a '92 turbo diesel with 180K, that seems to be running well
except for the fact that it makes the most unsettling clacking noise from
the engine.  I could likely get this one for 1500 CDN.

I am leaning toward the '92, due to age, mileage and overall condition and
options (air and nice alloy rims), but the noise has me concerned.  It
doesn't't seem to diminish at all even as the engine speed changes.  A
friend mentioned that it could be as simple as a bad injector.  Does this
sound right?  It makes an awful racket (even for a diesel).

Any other things to suspect and are there any simple tips for diagnosing
noisy injectors as opposed to more serious things internally?

thanks

Gary