pressure wash it or just wash it? i dont have a pressure washer but i could get one. and i plan on painting the valve cover once i get the paint (and the balls to pull it off) this would be my first time pulling one off
You can use a pressure washer, but you don't necessarily need to. Just buy a bottle of degreaser, spray the engine and the bottom of the hood down, let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse everything off with a hose. Repeat if necessary. Close the hood, turn the engine on and let it idle for a few minutes to dry everything off. You can use Armor-All on all the hoses and plastic parts too.
You will want to be a little bit careful with this though. I would get some plastic bags from Wal-Mart or something and cover up the air filter and distributor. Take those off and clean them by hand if necessary...