concerns: scratches, nicks on sealing surfaces...

[Grubester]

My Mk IV kit arrives in Oregon about mid-July and I'm really looking forward to the building experience!
I have seen some complaints by builders about leaks at hydraulic brake fittings and some leaks at master cylinders.
Of course many things can contribute to leaks but I want to ask (and stress) about two concerns.

I've worked with critical sealing surfaces for years in the semiconductor equipment world and have a
huge respect for the "care & feeding" of these metal-to-metal sealing designs. Are these fittings and
brake lines fully protected against mechanical damage in storage and then later in shipping?
Are the suppliers that ship to you taking the same precautions?

Secondly, are all wetted surfaces (bores of master cylinders; interiors of brake lines) fully ready for service as shipped?
Hydraulic systems are so sensitive to fine debris and moisture (I should read through my FF manual on this point;
maybe the manual issues red-flag warnings on all this...)

Thanks for what I've seen so far on your website and from users/owners that FFR is committed to great design, manufacturing, and quality!

[DanQ]

My brake lines were delivered inside a sturdy cardboard tube and survived the trip all the way to Minnesota just fine. It sure wouldn't hurt to shoot a bit of aerosol brake clean down each tube followed by compressed air, but honestly, bleeding the brakes will eliminate any debris in them. I assembled my entire car without having any leaks, but I did a thorough check of all fluid connections, hose clamps, nuts and bolts, etc. after 100 miles, then again after 500 miles. I am just under 800 miles now and will do it again at 1,000 miles. It is a good idea to do that and sure gives you peace of mind. After 1,000 miles, an annual check over is still recommended. One tip for your steel flared brake lines is to lubricate all double flare nuts and flared tubes so when it is being tightened, there is less metal to metal friction between the nut and the back side of the flare. That allows for more smooth tightening and less chance of galling. Also, when done bleeding and before test driving, stand on that brake pedal as hard as you can for about a minute. This will certainly show any potential leaks at the connections. While it feels you may damage something, it is all built with a big safety margin, and wouldn't you rather have a defective part fail then rather than when that child runs in front of you someday?