I had to replace the rear cylinders in my 85 as well. Did not feel a bit of change in the pedal as it was only the left one actually leaking.
MOT showed no brake force on the rear left...
So the two circuits did what the should.
There's no annual roadworthiness check analagous to an MOT here. I carry out a nose-to-tail inspection in the spring after the car's winter semi-hibernation, and a good shake-down road test to make sure everything's behaving as it should, but after this episode I think I need to cultivate more closely my relationship with a local garage, who may be inclined to allow me to use their brake rollers every once in a while...
I'm now worried that I must have missed early warning signs of impending failure. Did I not notice a low fluid level? Was there a warning light that I missed? Was I oblivious to increasing sponginess in the pedal? This whole episode has caused a bit of a self-examination of my somewhat lackadaisical "if it ain't broke don't fix it" approach to maintenance. Moggo's fist comment on this thread, while my first thought was that it was unnecessarily harsh, has made me stop and think
