no lock nut to remove lower leg?? be gentle its my first time.

[Thedougler]

I know the lower leg question has been brought up before but im hoping for some help. I have a 1975 merc 9.8. looks like the water pump is shot, I tried to remove the lower leg as per the manual. The shifting mechanism looks nothing close to the examples in the manual I have no lock or jam nut to undo and the shifting is done via gears (looks like crown and pinion style). The bolts are not fused to the leg, with the nuts off it wiggles but less than 1/8 inch, it feels like the drive shaft could be rusted together but I want to double check before my wife gets to call me a dumb---. any help would be great, Thanks.

 

[merc850]

Here's the Mercury manual method if it is rusted to the powerhead wooden wedges between the DSH and LU might separate them, go slowly.

 

[Thedougler]

i was wondering if it was possible to get at it from the other end. Thanks.