cleaning my engine

i have a 1997 mercury sable gs, and it is about time to clean the engine. Would i be able to use a cold-water garden hose, car washing detergent, and a car washing brush? and i am planning on covering up the battery, fusebox, and air intake, but is there anything else that needs to be covered up?

there are far too many things that would have to be covered up as there are dozens of electrical sensors plugged everywhere into the engine. If you feel the need to clean your engine, I suggest using a light spray of a degreasing cleaner (like 409) and steel wool and a rag.

If you have the 24V DOHC Duratec engine, be prepared for water filling up the sparkplug tubes also. I pull the sparkplug wire out and wrap the top just under the seal with paper towels then put the wire back on. After cleaning, I take the paper towels back out, then blow air into the tubes to be sure and get out any moisture that might have gotten past the paper towels. When cleaning the engine, which I have done once a month for all my cars (my 98' sable since new, so seven years for it), I first do a light spray from the garden hose. Then a mist of a degreasing spray bottle. I take a wash cloth from a bucket mix of degreaser and water, and wipe down all the surfaces. A light spray with the hose again to rinse and an old towel to dry. My engine compartment looks the same as it did on the showroom floor. On used cars I have bought that had filthy engines, I have used a pressure washer, careful to only hit those areas of heavy grease and never on anything electronic.

in the car manual, all it says to do is cover up the air filter, but i read other places that you should cover up the alternator, distributor, fuse box, and battery. I know where all of these are, but im not positive wher the distributor is.

And i DO NOT have a 24v duratec engine, its a 3.0L V6 Duratec.

in the car manual, all it says to do is cover up the air filter, but i read other places that you should cover up the alternator, distributor, fuse box, and battery. I know where all of these are, but im not positive wher the distributor is.

And i DO NOT have a 24v duratec engine, its a 3.0L V6 Duratec.

The Duratec is a 24 valve (24v) dual overhead cam (DOHC) 3.0 liter V6 engine. The other engine available that year is the Vulcan 3.0 liter V6. If you have the Duratec, then on both sides of the car between the front wheel wells and the door edge will be an emblem with 24V DOHC on it.

no, it doesnt say that on the side of the car. but i pretty much am forgetting about cleaning since i heard that there are way too many problems doing that.