2004 F150 Lower unit is "stuck"

[normo38]

Attempting to remove the lower unit to change the water pump impeller. Have removed the 6 bolts, trim tab bolt, and set the gear shift to neutral. The gearcase will not drop down with hand pressure/twisting.

Replaced the middle bolts on each side several turns to keep the gearcase from dropping completely and tried tapping on a wooden wedge place on top of the two very small triangular cast "tabs" on the housing above split line. Wedge kept slipping off the "tabs". Reluctant to go further without some good advice.

Thanks in advance.

[normo38]

Problem solved. Decided to pry the lower unit loose rather than beat it to death and break the fins. To do this I screwed the middle bolts into the housing most of the way and then made a narrow wooden shim that would sit on top of the fin just below the bolt head leaving enough clearance to insert a small pry bar between the shim and the head of the bolt. To keep the shim from slipping I beveled the edge so it would take the shape of the chamfer between the fin and the housing. Didn't take much force on the pry bar to pop the lower unit free.