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.