Topic: Left brake caliper off overnight, no resistanc in brake handle/piston not moving

[mcswny]

So I made a super rookie move last night/ this morning.

I set out to change my leaky fork seals on my 1971 750. Got all my tools ready, new seals for a stock 71. Got my bike lifted off the ground, wheel, fender, and everything off the front end. Got the pesky cir clip out and the fork apart. Turns out my fork lower isn't stock and was switched out by the PO and takes a 46mm seal rather than the 48mm I had. No big deal, just ordered the new seal and I'll be good to go.

Well this is where I screwed up.

I have a teeny tiny garage in Brooklyn that has EIGHT bikes in there. So I can't really leave my bike lifted for a few days because I need to wheel the rest of the bikes back into the garage. So unfortunately I had to reassemble my front end to get my back back on the ground and the other bikes in. I got the wheel on and the bike down and rather than put the brake caliper and fender back on I decided to save my self a measly 10 minutes and just leave them off till I can disassemble my forks again later this week.

Well now, My piston is seized out and it seems like there is absolutely no brake fluid in my lines.

So my questions are this:
1. Did this happen because my brake handle probably go pulling all the way in while the caliper wasn't on the wheel?
2. Do I need to try either the grease method or air compressor method to get the piston out like stated in other posts or can I just add new brake fluid and bleed the piston out.
3. Once I get the piston out, should I do anything to it to prevent this from happening again (other than not try to cut corners)
4. Who's going to point and laugh at me?

Thanks!!!

[flybox1]

...i'd leave the caliper off and continue to bleed the system, topping off the MC as needed, until the system bled enough to build pressure and push the piston out.
while its off.  give it a good cleaning/inspection and new seal if it hasnt been done in a while.

[flybox1]

if your brake lever never gains pressure, you're probably in for a MC rebuild.

[mcswny]

Thanks!!!

That's what I was hoping, and am still hoping will be the case.

The MC was rebuilt recently so I'm hoping it's not that.

[kghost]

Sometimes if you just keep bleeding the fluid gets through.

Or you can but it all back together, fill it up, and let it sit a couple days before you start bleeding.

Or a vacuum bleeder from the calipers.