I'm in the process of replacing my water pump and t-stat and the front of the block is filthy (covered in oil). Obviously I am going to fix the source of the oil (which I believe is the VC gasket) but I'm curious about the best way to clean this up. I was thinking of spraying Simple Green over the front of the block with the belt off and then rinsing with water. Can anybody think of any reason this would be harmful?

 

Not harmful
I usually hit it with degreaser, scrub off what I can and then pressure spray it.

 

it will take a lot of simple green you would be better of with degreaser or oven cleaner

 

Are there any parts I should avoid hitting with the degreaser? Like the pulleys or hoses?

 

spray away, if the belt is off

 

I like brake cleaner and a rag.

 

I've had good results with "Purple Power" de-greaser I got at the local auto parts store.