diesel motor ?

[BillPutney]

can a diesel engine crank and run in the wrong direction? I have a kioti tractor that has a starting problem . We have been crossing the terminals with a screwdriver to start it.That quit working so for 2 weeks we have been pulling it with a GMC Yukon and popping the clutch in high gear.This has worked fine until last night .The engine cranked but sounded very strange almost like it was knocking , and smoke was coming out of the air intake and not out of the muffler .Also it would go forward when in reverse and backward when in the forward mode . I shut it off and left it for a today project.

[Fr. Frank]

Yes, a 2-stroke diesel can run in reverse. Not very well, but they can run in reverse. They may suck oil out of the pan if they do, and burn the crankcase oil. I had a customer with twin 2-stroke Perkins diesels where the port engine would fail to start, and turn back from compression and then start. He had to shut off the air supply to shut it down.