Well I went ahead and did it. Was Still hesitant about really soaking it in degreaser.
Used Wurth engine cleaner and degreaser. Comes out in a stream of foam. Easy to get into lower areas of the engine. Covered everything with foil, sprayed degreaser, let it sit, then I hosed everything down. I dried it off the best I could with a towel and a blowing vacuum (oxymoron what?!). Finally I sprayed Sonus Trim and Motor Kote over it all.
The two problems I had were, first that I got some degreaser on the clear coated engine cover. It made a splotchy mess. I tried lifting it with Mother's QD, looks a little better, but it can always be repainted. Second I used some WD-40 on some exposed areas and got some on the serpentine belt. Hopefully I cleaned it all off.
Anyways...next time I really need a brush. Still looks good though. Although I did clean the upper part of the engine prior to this by hand a month or so ago.
Well...I hope this post isn't pointless.