Simple question on drive linkage cable

[Pecker]

Hello all,
I have a Billygoat vac and the drive linkage came loose. The reason, only part of the sheathing of the cable is in the clamp when the linkage is adjusted properly because the cable itself is about 1/2" too long. What I need to do is to cut about a half inch off the end of the cable. Problem is the the mallet-shaped stopper on the end of the cable - there's no way I can take it off and then put it back on after I cut the cable to the proper length. Is there some sort of stopper I can clamp on the end of the cable with a vise or something? What would you recommend?

[ed2hess]

Usually you can go to the other end and get it evened out? Why would you need to cut the cable length all of a sudden?

[Pecker]

I looked to see of I could do anything on the other end but that end is soldered to the handle mechanism. The reason it happend all the sudden was I was using it Friday and the the handle snap free. I thought the cable had snapped or something. But on closer inspection all that had happened was the clamp that holds the sleeve in place had come loose. Well, when I put it back in it was obvious that metal reinforcement on the sleeve had not been sitting squarely in the clamp (maybe even since it left the factory?). So I figured out that if the cable itself were 1/2" shorter it would sit with the clamp square in the middle of the metal reinforcement.

Thanks.

[Restrorob]

You can't take up any slack by moving the cable housing at the clamp area, It's been a long time since I worked on one of these.

[Pecker]

Yeah, by the time I got it adjusted like I needed, it was well past the metal protector and up into the sheating itself. I tried to shorten it but I think I cut too much off by not taking into consideration how much room the ferrule (found it at Home Depot) was going to take up. It works like a champ but I'm not happy with the outcome. Think I'll get some more cable and redo the whole thing soon. Thanks for the info.