Sudden fluid leak from brakes??
Sudden fluid leak from brakes??
Ok, i decided to change my front brake pads on my 2015 dyna wide glide. I replaced the rear about a month ago. Everything was going as planned and looking normal until i unbolted the front brake caliper. As soon as i removed the caliper from the front rotor, brake fluid started running out of the caliper all over my floor. I removed the front caliper master cylinder cap and as soon as i did that, it really started pouring out the front caliper.
Did i do something wrong unbolting the caliper? I did this just as the manual explains it. The banjo fitting did not come loose. I just finished riding all day yesterday with no issues. Pads are first time replacement, 22,000 miles on bike.
Any help would be appreciated.
Did i do something wrong unbolting the caliper? I did this just as the manual explains it. The banjo fitting did not come loose. I just finished riding all day yesterday with no issues. Pads are first time replacement, 22,000 miles on bike.
Any help would be appreciated.
Road Captain
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 618
Likes: 100
From: MA
Where on the caliper is the leak coming from? Could be a few things off the top of my head. Line is bad and you moving the caliper just finished the job. Seals for the pucks could have gone bad. Pucks could have extended too far out past the seal.
The pads are pretty thin. I didnt know that the pucks could move out to far?
I need to go get some brake clean and try to find out where exactly the leak is coming from at the caliper.
This just doesnt make sense? The brakes were working perfectly (always have) till now.
I need to go get some brake clean and try to find out where exactly the leak is coming from at the caliper.
This just doesnt make sense? The brakes were working perfectly (always have) till now.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,525
Likes: 6,406
From: Honah Lee
Sounds like you did it hot and did not brake cap on the master. Pressure pushed the piston out of the caliper. Guess if you were rough, you could have torn hose?
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Jul 21, 2019 at 10:01 AM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,525
Likes: 6,406
From: Honah Lee
When I do the first and second replacement, I take some fluid out of master. I pull caliper and remove pads. I put a shim of plywood in and push pistons out a little farther then they have been (but not too far!) and shoe polish them clean before pushing them back. The third set of pads need a total rebuild of everything. Depending on time, maybe even the second.
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Jul 21, 2019 at 10:06 AM.
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Can the pistons in the caliper get pushed out too far? Because i left the master cylinder cap ON when i pulled the caliper off.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 38,525
Likes: 6,406
From: Honah Lee
Can the pistons in the caliper get pushed out too far? Because i left the master cylinder cap ON when i pulled the caliper off.
Also since this is a 4 piston caliper, if pads were very thin, pushing caliper over pushed fluid out behind them. Since master was capped and fluid was not dipped out, it pushed on the other side piston and pushed them out.
Caliper needs rebuilt or replaced and properly bleed. Do not attempt to do this out of a service manual without doing a lot of other home work or with someone experienced .
You are truly asking questions or not telling what is going on . Sounds to me like you lack the mechanical experience to safely do what you are trying to do. Not trying to be a jerk here and we all need to learn. I started at 16 with a year of shop in automechanics.
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Jul 21, 2019 at 11:10 AM.
Ripsaw, i agree with you completely. I have done many disk brake jobs over the years on cars. So, i know the concept on how the system works. But not exactly on a motorcycle. Like i said in the beginning. I did the back brake with no issues at all.
As soon as i took the front caliper off the rotor (without first taking the cap off the master cylinder) all hell broke loose before i could do anything. Brake fluid went everywhere. I just got back from autozone with some brake kleen. Im going to go spray it down and try and find out where the leak is coming from. Ill be back soon with my findings.
As soon as i took the front caliper off the rotor (without first taking the cap off the master cylinder) all hell broke loose before i could do anything. Brake fluid went everywhere. I just got back from autozone with some brake kleen. Im going to go spray it down and try and find out where the leak is coming from. Ill be back soon with my findings.