2003 merc 15hp 4stroke lower unit

[jebby]

Hi all. Doing an impeller on my 2003 15hp 4 stroke. Never done this. To drop the lower unit I undo the bolts (2 up 1 down) then the shift linkage I believe. Having trouple getting the linkage undone. is it best to disconnect at the power head or split it at the 2 nuts in the middle (having a lot of trouble getting the jam nuts apart with my fat meat hooks.