Whoooaah greenie

[Grim Reaper]

Brakes are one of things I never screw around with. When I get a new older vehicle if stuff looks old it gets replaced. Rear wheel cylinders are $12, rebuilt masters are under $30 (atleast for my 75 and 79). all the rubber lines get replaced if the are old looking. Just not worth cutting corners when most of the parts are so cheap. You can pretty well rebuild the WHOLE system for $200. No point in taking chances. I learned that lesson after having a brak failure on my 79. Had the truck about 6 months and drove up Brass town bald (tallest mountain in GA). Even in first gear (auto) with 3.73's I was having to stay on the brakes a pretty good bit of the time. Never exceeded 25 mph on the way down. About half way down the brakes strated to fade BAD! Got her stopped let them cool. Brakes were still real spoongee so put the transfer case in low for extra compression brakeing and crept down. Had to drive 20 miles to find a parts store to get fluid. Gavity bleed the brakes in their parking lot so I could make the 60 mile drive home.
Most people don't relize that brake fluid is supose to be changed every couple of years. The fluid will absorbs moiture and it's boiling point drops dramaticaly. It also becomes acidic and will rot the lines out from the inside out.