I recently had my clutch replaced on my 1993 Ranger. The day I picked it up I noticed the dead speedometer. So I pulled the cable out from the sensor and noticed that the square hole seemed to be rounded a bit (I thought for sure this was the issue). After re-inserting, the speedometer worked for a couple of miles and quit again. I inquired with the shade tree mechanic who did the clutch job and he too noticed something not exactly right (trying to be honest?). I assumed it was due to wear and tear, so I replaced the sensor and found that it still does not work!

I spun the cable and had my son confirm the connection to the speedometer was intact, however, I then noticed that the cable has plenty of travel (in and out of the housing) and may not be contacting the slot in the sensor and/or the instrument cluster at the same time. I tried three times to position the cable just right before pushing it back into the sensor with no luck.

I really do not want to replace the cable if I do not have to. I've read plenty of posts that indicate that the cable can be removed from the housing but this will not likely solve the problem. I also read that the electrical part of the sensor may indirectly affect engine performance, although this is not my issue (no cruise control)--it seems to be all mechanical affecting the speedo.

Q1: Can a speedometer cable be misaligned in the housing?
Q2: What other factors may cause the cable from making contact at each end?
Q3: How does one properly install the cable (there is a small clip it pushes through--I may be attaching it incorrectly).

BTW, the odometer is my only means of gauging fuel consumption because my sending unit died too (another issue for another day) so I must resolve this so I can avoid running out of gas!

Thanks