1982 40 hp Mercury powerhead stuck.

[motor boater]

Hey guys, this has been my first time tearing down my outboard as far as i have right now, it was/is running perfectly fine, only reason for doing it is bebecause the cast alluminum arms that attach from the cylinder block cover to the starter broke off and im attempting to remove it in order to have it welded so i can continue to use the electric start instead of the emergency pull rope method..

Anyhow, i have the service book for my engine and have already removed the flywheel and all the wiring and stuff on top and have removed the 4 screws from the drive shaft hosting and the 6 nuts that were behind that housing cover which appear to be what holds the powerhead to the drive shaft..
And Now I'm stuck.. The manual says to pull the powerhead up and off at this point but it wont seem to budge and i really dont want to hammer at it and risk damaging something.. Any help would be appreciated, ive taken 100's of pictures and can upload some in 10 hrs or so when i get back home if needed.. Thanks in advance for any help i can get..

 

[racerone]

6 nuts does not sound like you found them all.----Look for more.--------When i look at the parts break down the gasket has 8 holes.-----And it shows the nuts , quantity used as 8

 

[Chinewalker]

There are EIGHT nuts holding the powerhead on. SIX behind the lower shroud, and TWO more forward, just above the steering arm/swivel bracket.

You may need to gently pry on the powerhead to break it free once the last of the nuts has been removed. The old gaskets and bake on there pretty good...

 

[motor boater]

Powerhead OFF!!!!! thanks guys, i dont know how i didnt see those bolts... Thanks for the precise location Chinewalker...

 

[motor boater]

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[motor boater]

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also, what do you guys recommend I use or do in order to clean the old gasket off of both of these parts? and is there anything else I should consider changing before I put everything back together? I'm already replacing all the nuts because they looked a little rusted and I'm replacing both of these gaskets as well as a steel cable that's on the lower housing one on each side because they are frayed. Oh, and I already have a new gasket for when I open the crankcase cover.

 

[restornator]

remove the lower unit, you can't drop the powerhead onto the drive shaft.