If you take a knife and cur through the plastic cover you can bend the housing to spread apart the steel coil in the housing. Just slip one edge of the cutter between two turns and cut across the turn at the opposite side. It's harder to explain than to do. There is no crushing and no need to stick a cable into the housing. I've cut plenty of brake housings this way and never have a problem. Two seconds on the grider and your ready to install.