Great job OP, you have probably just learned a valuable lesson in car maintenance that you'll never forget and can pass on to others. As you mentioned, never remove those bolts unless you are intentionally disassembling the caliper. What you probably filed to put back or put back correctly is the rubber seal that goes between the 2 caliper halves. Also it is imperative to clean everything well before reassembly so you don't have any contaminants in the fluid.

 

That is good news! Glad you were able to get it back together and all is well. It doesn't take much to nick one of those O-rings or have one get off its' seat. Nice & helpful pics too!

 

Thanks for the pics OP! I've never seen one taken apart.

How do you folks usually clean the calipers during brake jobs? I've read that the Akebono's need a good cleaning to prevent squeals (not confident that this is a fact as opposed to someone's guess), but I am more interested in just keeping everything clean. Advice?

 

Brake cleaner and a brush and rag.

 

Brake cleaner, the stuff in an aerosol can, is it safe on the rubber seals around the pistons? That is my main concern. Looking to clean the area from OP's third pic:


I save old tshirts, and old toothbrushes just for such cleaning activities Plus blue shop towels for the final few wipes.