Originally Posted by
cxwrench
Your posts are definitely TL;DR.
It must be my age because the majority of stuff I read on forums (and elsewhere) is TL;DR. Either I'm lacking patience or younger people don't know how to organize their thoughts or appreciate the virtues of brevity.
In any case, the OP can do a simple travel test by removing the wheel and applying the brake against a dollar bill. (not generally recommended with hydraulic brakes). If there's adequate smooth travel, all upstream factors are eliminated because, even with a spongy housing, force in equals force out. So, it's down to the pad/disc interface.