I have a R1500 garden tractor with a one cyl. diesel engine. i need a head gasket because the intake valve is starting to leak. where can i find engine parts or am i out of luck.
Thank you ThomasH. That gives me a start where to look. I am a retired auto. mechanic and have always wanted to restore a tractor. this tractor is in perfect shape has original tires that have no wear or cracks. most of its life was pulling a cart out of a building with a pump on it so a helicopter could take it away for forestry work, or moving helicopters in and out of the hanger. It was kept inside most of its life.
Mitsubishi MTE2000D, Dig It 258 Mini Ex, Deere Z930A ZTR
Parts Manual - MITS. R1500 sells a parts manual..... Parts diagrams can be very useful and probably the only thing you'll be able to find on a model that old/unique. You may know already but it uses the SDT75 engine which may be of help on net searches for parts, diagrams, etc.
Knowing that the gasket is probably impossible to locate I'd probably try to fashion one from dead soft aluminum or thin copper.
Then again if you can be so lucky sometimes a head gasket will come free without any prying and if so can probably be reused as it is already shaped to fit all the minute crevices that it was designed to do in the first place. If you must re use, a light coating of hi temp silicone liquid gasket painted on both sides should seal any minute fissures that might be present.
I more than once have salvaged many gaskets as long as they are not stuck to the point of needing to be scraped free.
Most times I like to smear grease on both faces B4 installing making removal easier. (old trick taught me by an uncle mechanic)