Just a note on the pedal level:  My 84 had a stuck cylinder. After fixing that and successfully bleeding the cylinder my clutch pedal was also below the brake pedal (maybe as much as two inches). When I tried to shift, the clutch was not disengaging enough. It turns out that the previous owner tried to force the cylinder free and bent the pedal. I managed to bend the pedal back with some pursuasion tools (prybar) to the level of the brake and all was well.

I don't know of any secrets on the bleeding. On brake cylinders they suggest bench bleeding prior to install to get the hidden bubbles out.
good luck.