water pump key in 8hp???

[nates waters]

Having trouble with water pump key in my newly aqquired 1986 sailmaster johnson 8hp. I figured out that you cant slide the water pump, still attached to foot, over the diveshaft onto the key where the key is indexed on the driveshaft. Books say when the lower unit is removed, the driveshaft comes out with it, then your able to slide the water pump down the drivshaft onto the key and bolt on the water pump to the foot. Well my driveshaft is still connected to the motor and not in the foot, which seems ok cause i can still line up the shift rod and diveshaft when i put the foot back on but its this damn water pump key--

My question is to how to release the driveshaft from motor so i can put the key in water pump the way it says, or if theres some special way to do this.--Please Help--

[boats.net]

The drive shaft should slip out of crankshaft on engine(spline shafts), if doesn't then must be corrosion on shaft splines.