Thanks MarkT, I got a similar answer from one of the site admins just now so I'll try posting a couple more times and see if that works. Ignore me please if you see a few rapid posts testing it.

Testing link upload (1)

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Testing link upload (1)

Finally got the link to work, here it is. Any extra leads or tips on where to find the part would be appreciated. I am tracking down MarkT's suggestions.

imgur.com/a/hIYjyOo

Interesting that the reservoir for the rear shock absorber on your model is behind the spring, whereas on earlier models it is in front. Brochures for your model show that yours are correctly fitted, by the way.

1976 DT175 had "forward mounted" shocks compared to earlier models...  which is something most people don't notice and was one of the rages at the time for motocross (the other rage was "lay down" shocks).  Shock mounting kits were available for some bikes and you'll still come across bikes that had "backyard engineering" mods to move the shocks forward or lay them down. The shock mounting was another "one year only" difference on the 1976 US DT175 models....  1976 had a different frame and swingarm compared to the "look alike" 1975 DT175 

(Though I'm not sure if you could actually mount the factory Thermal Flow shocks "reservoir forward" on any of the 175's without the reservoir rubbing on the chain guard...  you can't always go by brochure photos being correct)

By earlier models, I had in mind the DT250/360/400 - sorry for not making clear!

I agree with not necessarily trusting brochures. Here in the UK, one brochure was for a RD250DX, although that was never actually a Yamaha model. Mind you, that didn't stop us spotty youths calling it that at the time!

I also just looked and it appears 1976 was the first year of the factory Thermal Flows on the DT175...  many people retrofitted them onto earlier models because having reservoir shocks was super cool!  But you did have to mount them "backwards" on the 175 (and 125) Enduros.

Thanks Mark.

I guess that is confirmation that, performance wise, it didn't matter if you fitted them with the reservoir fore or aft of the spring?!

Forward or back doesn't matter for performance...  I have a CT1 and 1976 DT175 with Thermal Flows.  (But you will get comments that they are "backwards" from people on the Internet!  LOL)

Also, it's those forward mounts that likely resulted in the use of the oddball seat latch on the 1976 DT175?