Don't put yourself down. Many have had issues such as this over the years. Some even gave up and went to a Lokar cable.
How I see it, YMMV........
When holding the throttle closed and pulling back on the cable housing (sheath), see how far back it will move till it stops?
This is where your pedal ball should be tight to the hole in the pedal bracket.
If the metal ferrule is behind the engine bracket clamp, then it's too long.
If the metal ferrule position is similar to the picture below when the cable housing is pulled tight, move the ferrule forward 3/16" (to allow slight slack in the cable so the cable doesn't hinder idle adjustment) then tighten the clamp nut.
A picture off of Bbodies. Yours should end up looking similar....
