Speedometer pickup

[oriondal]

I bought a car whose speedometer wasn’t working. I removed the speedometer pickup which appears to be in good shape. I fed both the old cable and a new one well into the housing. The gear spins but doesn’t engage the cable. The cables both are square on the ends, so I’m wondering if the receiving end in the pickup is worn out (it’s impossible to see up in there). Is this something that happens? If so, is there any remedy besides buying a new assembly?