ok so i been on youtube looking for directions on how to clean an engine bay but no good look any one got tips. i am afraid if i wash it with water i will f@ck something up .i dont want to take it a profecinal i like to do things my self so help they engine got some gunk and it looks like some dried stuff next to the oil cap

 

so long as you try to avoid the electrics, water won't harm the engine bay so avoid spraying water on to the alternator etc, a good degreaser is the way to go, no idea what they have over in the states or the laws on using such chemicals. It is possible to find a do-it- yourself jet wash, with a hand spray gun (these are equiped with catchment areas for the oil and chemicals). Really soak the heavily oiled areas with degreasant, normally from underneath the car and with careful aim from the above the engine compartment. but again avoid areas that are deliberately greased, joints etc. Try to avoid using a power wash jet gun as these force water into places you don't want it.
I've just done my car as I want to keep an eye on a leak from crankshaft seal, fresh oil tells me how much it is leaking
However the best way is to get it steam cleaned, maybe a local garage can do it for you for a decent price.

 

I usually use Gunk ever other year. The motor doesn't get dirty that fast. Follow the directions on the can and you should be fine. Cover the distributor and a few other sensitive areas, remove the air filter, spray it down and let it soak a few minutes. Then rinse the stuff off before it dries. NO HIGH PRESSURE WATER.

 

The most cost affective way is to go to your local Dollar store and purchase a bottle of "Awesome" that's the name of the cleaner. While the car is running, spray the cleaner all over the place but try not to go directly into the Alt. let it sit for about a minute and then rinse it off with the shower setting on the nozzle. All the oil, dirt and junk will come right off. Good luck!

 

Call me crazy (not yet) but I used to go to a car wash and spray the entire bay down with cleaner and then roll in and hit it with their sprayer. Now I have a pressure washer of my own so I don't need to go to a car wash but will if I have a nasty car to work on (they have oil traps, I don't. Yup, tree hugger when I can).

I've never had a problem with a car not starting. I don't aim at the distributor but the rest of the engine and bay is fair game as they all get hit with water when you're driving in the rain. I spray it down with the engine off and hose it down with it running and then let it run for 5-10 minutes then leave it in the sun hood up to dry for a few hours.
Just for back up you might want to have the tools to pull the distributor cap handy and a can of WD40.

 

I wash my vehicle engines with soap and water just like the rest of the car. It's made to get wet and I've never had any problems doing it that way. Use a semi soft setting like "shower" if your hose nozzle has it. You'll want to avoid spraying the intake and electronics too much.

If it's really grimy, I use the spray engine degreaser. I still have to degrease the bottom of my engine since the previous owner had an oil leak and it's pretty much everywhere.