Is there a final word on engine washing?
 

All opened up for an alternator. Oddest thing. Just started slower and slower. No light show. New batt dead.

Going to clean the front, but what have folks gotten away with up top? I really want to pressure wash that baby!

I would not use a pressure washer on the engine. I clean mine with gentle water flow and orange cleaner. Spray the orange cleaner on, let it sit, rinse, repeat. Some of the tougher dirt required the use of a rag to clean it up.

Thanks. So getting it wet in general is not bad? Mild engine cleaner?

I pressure wash the bottom all the time before working on them. Of course they're up on a lift and I have good access to clean underneath. I'm not sure you would really get to that much with a car on the ground. I also power wash the whole motor once it's out, but I wouldn't recommend doing it with the engine still in the car. Mostly because you can't really see where you're spraying in such a confined space and there's some areas that shouldn't have 1800+ psi water sprayed at. You're also more likely to get overspray on the interior. I've had good success with simple green and a garden hose.

Since the motor is so difficult to access, cleaning the top end just to have a clean motor is a bit of a waste of time in my opinion. I dust off the components with a wet rag when I'm in there annually to change the air filter, but that's about it!

Mild cleaner, gentle water and some elbow grease.

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+1 on the Simple Green.
Fabulous stuff.
I've used it on the Boxster and my DD Subaru Forester, which had been thrice oil sprayed.
Took all the 5 year old oil scuzz off the Forester's engine compartment paintwork, after sitting 10 minutes and rinsing with a moderate pressure stream from the garden hose. No elbow grease needed.
Both came out like new.

Forgot one other detail.
On the Boxster, I used my compressor & blow gun to chase the rinse water away. I aimed the air stream into the engine compartment and ended up with only a few water drops on the interior and paintwork.

Lots of puddles. Seems to have all evaporated. Pics later. Citrus engine cleaner and garden hose. Looks great. Thanks!!

If possible let it dry for a day before starting it up.