Got home at 4 this arvo tired but determined to G.E.D. I began by doing the extra things I wasn't told about in the first place - clean the shaft and clutch splines, grease the lever pivot ball etc. I also used a triangle neendle file on the teeth of the clutch plate as some were burred from the previous 3 wrestling attempts.
Once all this was done, it slid together with very little effort

and bolted it all up.
One tip I learned during my first installation attempt was to jack up the back of the tranny (once I had a couple of the bottom bolts in to hold it together) which gave me a great deal more space to get air ratchet, and hands in.
I also degreased and brushed the crap off the clutch cable adjustment thread and greased that to... mmm so smoooove
Once I had it all back together, I took it for a drive and adjusted the cable until it was a nice distance.
Just a note - I picked up some white grease (Zinc Oxide) from Repco today for all of the above, as it doesn't attract the grit quite so badly.
On the pedal feel - To be honest, I hadn't given it a thought till I read the recent posts here. It really was no different to orignal!
I'm rather pleased with the result, and with myself. I have refit trimatics in my old holdens on a number of occasions, but this is my first manual. The old Holdens of course had far less pipes and cables and a lot more room around the tranny, and far less grit falling in my face every time I touched something!!
By the last attempt, I had all the tools needed at hand for a fairly quick fit. When I puled it out for the final time Tuesday night, it took me 1/4 of the first time.
Oh, one last thing for body lifted Jimny owners. I had been annoyed about the big gap that appeared around the gear shifter because it was dropped 50mm. So, while I was in there, I turned the rubber floor boot upside down, which allowed it to mate with the shifter housing, and I placed a cable tie around it for good measure. Before this, I dropped the bottom boot and washed out a load of the built up gunk with kero and a brush.
edit: Once It was relatively clean, I regreased with heaps of Zinc Oxide grease.