Front Rotor grinding - [FIXED = was just dirt]

[AndrewGZ250_02]

So, I learned my first lesson today: Don't ride on muddy roads.

I came back to my garage and found my front wheel was grinding. Removed the caliper, checked the wheel and the sound was gone, so I deducted that its the brake pads grinding against the rotor. Cleaned a little dirt off the pads, they looked fine, but on second inspection I discovered that they were actually worn right past the danger zone. So I need new pads. [ Did not clean the rotor well enough and that is why the grinding remained. ]

Before I realized how worn they were, I had figured the grinding was from dirt in the caliper causing misalignment. So I cleaned it a bit, pumped the piston out a little and cleaned some gunk on it, only to find I couldn't press it back in.. Now I'm looking at having to bleed the lines a little bit. [ Just C-clamp the piston in. ]

So I took off the master cylinder cap only to find a white piece of plastic which looks and feels totally sealed in place. I can't find any instructions on how to get past it and to the brake fluid resevoir underneath, so I'm stressing out. [ The white plastic piece does come off, just gotta stick a knife in beneath the thin black rubber seal. MAKE SURE CYLINDER IS LEVEL :roll: . ]

Several problems here, being:

A) Where do I get new pads.

B) What is causing the wheel to grind (brake related).

C) Do I need to bleed the brake fluid to depress the piston? If so, how do I get at the brake fluid resevoir, under the white plastic seal.