Clutch Bleeding - Maintenance Item?

1997 4.0 AX-15 - I've searched on clutch bleeding, but haven't found this answer. Being that the clutch uses brake fluid, should the fluid be replaced every couple of years just like the brake system? The owner's manual makes no mention of it. The FSM, from what I remember, says it doesn't need to be replaced as a maintenance item.

Thanks in advance for any responses.

No, in fact if you buy a new clutch/master it comes with fluid already installed from the ones I have replaced.

HELL YES it should be replaced if left too long it breaks down and it will overheat and fail leaving you without any clutch disengagement
think about it your clutch pedal is depressed ~5:1 over your brake pedal and thats alot of heat cycles for any fluid you change coolant you change brake fluid so too should you change clutch fluid

most of the later model systems cannot be bled. they come as pre-bled sealed units(master, slave and line) with no provisions for bleeding, etc.

While the above is true, it is also possible to buy the parts individually, and bench bleed them. The line is attached to the master and slave by a fitting with a cross pin. I recently helped my son replace the master cylinder on his 96, and it worked quite well. It should be possible to bleed it by filling the system and then pushing in the slave cylinder all the way, which displaces more fluid than is held by the line. We did this multimple times until there was no more bubbling, and it worked moderately well, and he says that after driving a few miles it improved, and shifts better than ever.

The slave cylinder also does have pre-threaded but blind bleeder hole, so I suppose it should be possible to drill it out and put a bleeder in it and then vacuum bleed the system. I didn't do this because I couldn't find the right bleeder screw in my little bin of bleeders, and was too cheap and lazy to shop for one.

I don't know where he got the parts, but the name on the box was "Centric." I don't know if they make a replacement for the line, but you can get the master and slave by themeselves.

i wasn't aware they did separate pieces aftermarket. i was thinking of the way the dealer services the set up only as one big assembled unit, which i think is a pretty neat idea-albeit expensive. good to know...