Re: 70hp lower unit drop. Shift linkage???
Nope. been busy but am going to this week. How many bolts total do i need to remove???
Remove bolt holding anode (from the top, at the rear of the foot); that one is 1/2" IIRC. Under the anode is a thin (jam) locknut (from the bottom); that one is 9/16" IIRC, and being a thin jamnut likes to break if tightened too much--I have some spares if you need one. Then there is another 5/8" locknut (from the bottom) right in the middle of the cavitation plate. Then there are two 5/8" locknuts, one on each side of the foot (get these from the sides); do these a few turns on one, then the other, then the first, etc. Don't lose any of the washers, they are very hard to find replacements for.
That should be it. Reverse order for reinstall.
If you got them all and the foot still drops only 1/2", my guess is the driveshaft splines are stuck in the crankshaft. Sounds crazy and dangerous and will destroy the impeller (which you are replacing anyway), but you can try this...drop the foot as much as you can while leaving those side locknuts on a few threads, then key on a few times (in neutral of course, not to start but just to engage the starter), this may free up the stuck splines.
Without cracking the aluminum of course, don't be afraid to pry on the mating surfaces between the foot and the midsection, the top part of the foot is not sealed from water anyway; the LU lube is in its own sealed section lower in the foot.