Once the OP got the tractor back upright, letting it sit for a while was a good idea.
And if the engine started and ran reasonably for any length of time, even three seconds, that means the engine is probably in good working order still. If the engine was Hydro locked or something else, it simply wouldn't start at all. And once the engine did start, having it become Hydro locked after it was running for three seconds doesn't make any sense.
Then the OP said that when they try to start it now, it tries to start fires once and then dies. To me that sounds like he has tried to start it many times and the same thing happens every time. The battery/starter is still working and turning the engine over trying to start it, but after catching once and firing once it dies each time he tries to start. If you were Hydro locked, you shouldn't even be able to turn over the engine at all.If you slightly bent a rod, there is a possibility that the engine can run using the other cylinders, but with a worse bend, you will get knocking or other catastrophic events (e.g. holes in the engine block).
So my vote goes to a fuel delivery problem. After there are fuel problems on diesel engines, until they get a good supply of fuel, they will sit there and crank. Sometimes restoring a fuel supply involves bleeding old fuel filters. Sometimes it involves the water catch tank being full of air. Sometimes the lines. Troubleshoot the fuel system until you get fuel spurting out of the line that goes to your injectors.
I'm curious to see how this one turns out.
And if the engine started and ran reasonably for any length of time, even three seconds, that means the engine is probably in good working order still. If the engine was Hydro locked or something else, it simply wouldn't start at all. And once the engine did start, having it become Hydro locked after it was running for three seconds doesn't make any sense.
Then the OP said that when they try to start it now, it tries to start fires once and then dies. To me that sounds like he has tried to start it many times and the same thing happens every time. The battery/starter is still working and turning the engine over trying to start it, but after catching once and firing once it dies each time he tries to start. If you were Hydro locked, you shouldn't even be able to turn over the engine at all.If you slightly bent a rod, there is a possibility that the engine can run using the other cylinders, but with a worse bend, you will get knocking or other catastrophic events (e.g. holes in the engine block).
So my vote goes to a fuel delivery problem. After there are fuel problems on diesel engines, until they get a good supply of fuel, they will sit there and crank. Sometimes restoring a fuel supply involves bleeding old fuel filters. Sometimes it involves the water catch tank being full of air. Sometimes the lines. Troubleshoot the fuel system until you get fuel spurting out of the line that goes to your injectors.
I'm curious to see how this one turns out.