brake bleeding firm now spongie.

I think you may have mistake caps for the plugs that take the place of the lines. I ment the caps that cap off the mc res.
Either way it shouldn't matter since the system is designed to work with the lid on the m/c reservoir.

Just to be clear. When you say it gets spongy after you bleed the R/F, is that to mean its firm until you bleed that wheel & then it gets spongy?