Greetings, I'm relatively new to FTE but have found the forum and posts helpful as I've been working on my '66 F-100 4x4. Once I get enough posts, I'll put up some picks to share with you all. Presently I'm working on replacing the speedo cable which should not be taking me this long. Before I do something stupid though, I wanted to get a consensus check. I got the cable from LMC ( which I know some folks would say is my 1st mistake, nonetheless..) and then, thanks to NumberDummy, picked up the O ring they fail to send with it. Everything went swimingly until it was time to thread the cable onto the back of the speedo. The issue is the threads will not mate because the inner portion of the cable is about 3/32" too long. This is the end with the brass collet, and it looked as if when I lubed the cable I had not reseated it fully. So, I removed the tranny end of the cable, pulled the cable down a little bit and reseated the plastic gear ( which is only so deep). Back on the speedo side, the inner cable still protrudes too far to let the threads catch.
My first question is: Is the inner cable meant to be trimmed? That seems like the easiest solution, but being irreversible, also possibly a bad one.
Is there a chance that I've got a broken chip of cable still in the back of my speedo - and if so is there any way to check other than to remove the whole thing and just shake it?
Lastly, is there just some other seating trick that I'm missing?
I thank you in advance.

 

The original 1965/66 F100/250 4WD speedometer cable (includes the inner woven steel core) is 90.80" long.

The woven steel core can be replaced by itself. Remove the old core, measure it, buy an autoparts store universal woven steel core kit, cut it to length, coat with graphite, install in housing.

I dunno what LMC sells, but it seems to me to be a universal "fitz-all" speedometer cable, that doesn't "fitz-well."

 

Not same series of trucks; but my buddies 69 Ranger (new) speedo cable complete came from oreilly parts store.
I purchase alot of stuff from several vendors to include lmc; I would call lmc; and talk to them about sending another cable; their pretty good with return replacement in the past for me; if not possible just for reason of not being complete; request a return credit.