[Bob's944]

I've cleaned the engine in my 944 with degreaser and a hose at least a half a dozen times in the 4 years I've had the car with no problems starting or running it afterwards. The only component I have covered is the distributor cap, which I cover well with plastic wrap. I always make sure the engine is warm before applying the degreaser, but not hot. Doing this ensures that the engine will heat up quickly when finished to quicken the evaporation time, and a hot engine sprayed with cold water can possibly cause some metal to crack, definately not something you would want to happen. Typically I will spray the degreaser throughout the engine compartment, then use an old paintbrush to scrub around the problems areas, and then flush well with water. After the engine is cleaned off, I immediately start it and let it run until all the water has evaporated away. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've never had a problem doing it that way.