Changed the clutch and brake fluid today

Yeah, it's a standard thing; when it involves stopping gear and such, it still makes me a bit nervous.

The old fluid was about the color of weak tea; not bad, but amazing how much darker than the new stuff.

 

brake fluid should be clear at all times, the color change is due to two reasons, 1) got too hot! hard braking will heat the brake fluid quick. 2) water in the fluid, its inevitable, water gets in and contaminates the fluid, during braking the water turns to steam and since steam can be compressed it causes you to brake harder and thus more heat allows the steam to compress even more. at some point the steam will mix with the oil and cause failure of the oil.
Now that ive scared you, weak tea color is past the point that you should have, but I have seen the fluid completely black and still work good. Best policy is to change it anytime you notice your grabbing more brake to stop than you use to, the brakes feel spongy or color has become noticable and never from an unsealed bottle. If you brake hard a lot then consider changing more often.

 

Waited for the manual-listed mileage, but yeah, should have done it sooner just to be on the safe side.

No braking problems or sponginess, at least

 

it never hurts to know more than you need about what your playing with, that goes double for safety devices.

 

Can't argue with that

 

I have to do this.. along with a list of other maint.

 

I put it off a while simply to make sure I had a warm day to do it in. I used a Mity Vac hand vacuum: used a baster to suck the old fluid out of the reservoir, filled with new, then used the pump to pull it through. Just in case it helps:
I've got a drill press vise, I clamp the non-moving lever of the pump in it to hold it upright.
What I'd read seems accurate, open the valve just enough to let fluid out; if you open it more you get air sucking into the vacuum line through the threads of the valve. Spooked hell out of me at first when I opened it too far. I'm told you can pull the valve and wrap some teflon tape around the threads to prevent that.
And reaching the rear valve on the rear caliper is a PITA; it might be easier to pull the caliper like the manual says(yes, I'm lazy and left it in place).