Hi all: Starting my first brake pad job on my 08 fatboy. Have manual and all the needed tools and parts. First thing off I run into a problem. As soon as I loosened the slider bolts, the front caliper began to leak brake fluid. I would say it leaks 3-4 CC before stopping. Is this a sign of a bad seal? Do I need a rebuild kit?

 

Your caliper? Began to leak fluid from where? You didn't loosen the bleeder valve by mistake, did you?

 

Sorry. Should have included a bit more detail. The leak appeared to have come from behind the lower portion of the brake pads.

 

OK. Figured it out. There are the four bolts on the caliper, the two sliders and the two fork bolts. The two halves of the calipers are held together by the slider bolts. Once those were loosened, the small seal for the fluid transfer port (between the two caliper halves) no longer can hold the brake fluid and that is what started to leak. The pistons and seals look great. Cleaned everything up with some denatured alcohol.

The odd part is the manual does not discuss this, nor any of the howto's I have reviewed. They all show the two halves staying nicely together. I personally cannot see how they would not just fall apart as nothing is left to hold them together.

 

Last post. I am a dumb *** who apparently cannot read. For some reason I kept reading slider bolts (plural) when there is only one. The second bolt that looks just like the slider bolt holds the two caliper halves together. This one I should not have removed.

Double dumb *** on me.

 

Was gonna say. Nothing should leak just by pulling the calliper off. I've had my rear calliper off twice and the front off once, but nothing has ever leaked out that I didn't intend. We all make mistakes, tho. The first time I replaced my rear pads, they weren't seated right & and it caused me problems out on the road. Had to take a detour into a dealer and it cost me about $70 bucks to have them fix it...