I remember using Easy-Off oven cleaner, but it is pretty caustic so must use rubber gloves with a mask and may not be good for your yard. Spray it on and let it work follow with a pressure washer.
If I want to degrease a cast iron engine that I is NOT in a vehicle, I remove the aluminum parts and use Easy-Off oven cleaner. For the distributor, I remove the cap put a ziploc bag over the distributor and zip-tie the bag at the base of the distributor. Easy-Off is a caustic based cleaner that works extremely well. It even removes paint. I have been using Easy-Off for many years. Do yourself a favor and wear goggles and long heavy rubber gloves. And as terry said:
Spray it on, let it work and follow-up with a pressure washer On modern engines with aluminum heads and blocks, Easy-Off may not be the best choice.
