Good time to change out the fluid.

If you do not know how old the Brake Fluid is in your unit any time you service one of the brakes is a good time to change out the entire fluid system.  As good as the new stylebrake fluid is, some water does leak into the system from time to time.  Besides forming an immobile sludge, brake line condensate becomes terribly acidic, and can cause a brake line leak at the most inopportune moment. 

NAPA carries a relatively cheap tool which pulls a vaccuum (changes the fluid in the line) at each slave cylinder via a hand held vaccuum pump.  Price is less than $20, and turns a brake fluid  job into a one man operation.  I say one man, because if any of you have had to use your significant other (that means wife, most of the time) to assist in a brake bleed operation, you know what I am talking about - does the phrase "pump it three times and HOLD IT"  sound familiar? - just what part of "hold it" does the female psyche find difficult to understand?

But I digress -

The vaccuum tool is a good item to add to your tool box - I carry one in the belly of the beast.

Some of you may recall from the "other" forum a serious brake problem I had a couple of years ago on the 345 - after changing out about three Master Cylinders, I discovered that the vertical rod link between the brake pedal and the Master Cylinder needed adjustment - there was not enough play in the relaxed position and the rod was not allowing the master cylinder to release brake fluid pressure when relaxed.  I do not think I would have been able to change out the master cylinder on the road without the hand held vaccuum tool.