Hedge Cutter Woes!

[Pearlfisher]

Hi there

I have a Bosch 7000 Pro T (corded electric) hedge strimmer which has just given in.
Suspect the issue could be carbon brushes.

I have taken the handle off, but am stuck at the stage of splitting the casing apart to access the motor.
All 10 screws joining the the left and right hand plastic parts have been removed.
However, trying to prise apart the two sides seems to require an awful lot of force.
I've pitched two screwdrivers either end (as seen in the photos below), the handle part splits ok, but trying to progress to the other end with a 3rd screwdriver requires so much force it bends the plastic and would potentially break things.
There are no other visible screws holding the sides together.

I've watched a video for a different Bosch model, and the two sides separate with relative ease:

And another one for the 6000 Pro:

where the guy simply lifts one part from the other.

Am I missing something? - is there a special way to prise these things apart without damaging? - it's driving me mad!

 

[Pearlfisher]

Here's another pic (attachment). Could apply brute force by forcing the handles further apart, but might break things.