Re: Upper cowl removel
My vary with the year, but generally, there is a latch at the back of the motor where the top and bottom cowls meet.
Flip the latch down and to starboard, lift up on the rear of the cowl, slide slightly toward the front and continue lifting.
FWIW, the cables are usually not the problem, and adjusting them can cause a problem with the neutral safety switch if your motor has one (depends on year).
Depending on the year, the adjustment may be made at the jam nut halfway down the shift shaft.
Welcome to iboats.
And always try to include the year/model number/or serial number of the motor. It will yield better answers.