Power window regulator cable

Does anyone know a way to re-attach a power window regulator cable for a 96 4dr. Accord driver side window? the device that slides up and down on my original was damaged, so I bought a replacement part which would have been all I needed, however, over the course of the last couple weeks since I received it and this last weekend when I found the time to install it, someone bent the railing on the new one. So, I thought I would just swap the slide piece from the new, damaged part with the slide piece from my old unit since that was all that was damaged with it. I proceeded to unhook the cabling, which is just like the cable used on bicycle brakes/gear shifting. However, when I tried to re-connect the cable, I could not stretch it enough to slip over the end of the pulley system that doubles as the end-of-slide rail stopper so the part that goes up and down doesn't exit the railing at the bottom. So, now I don't have any window in my car because I couldn't rehook up the cable and could not figure out how to loosen the cable to that I could rehook it up.
Anyone have any suggestions/solutions?