Some times you just have to get in there with a small scraper/putty knife and scrape off the heavy crud build up.Then use the chemicals.

I worked at a self serve car wash for a few year when I was a pup.Saw allot of guys come in and use the bays to clean engines.Never saw any one crack a manifold.....
I did have to clean up the freaking grease they left behind.....LOL

......Wookee

I have pressure washed numerous motors dozens of times while the motor was running. Never any damage.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!! I wonder why I am on this planet sometimes!!!!! I got the thermo housing in... started it up.. got her warm to open the thermo... and I noticed the screw in plug leaking. So i shut her down.. tighten that damn screw and guess what??? BUsted the sensor clean off the pipe heading to the heater core!!! I go to restart and she just cranks and cranks and cranks.. well after a few she fired with a heavy smell of fuel. *Sigh* Nothing goes right for me .. *puts kick me sign on back* have at it boys... and girl...

The coolant temp sensor is a critical component of Fords EFI system. I am not surprised it wouldn't start ad then ran really rich. It should be fairly cheap and easy to replace, especially on a 300.

Ya I have been doing research on this thing. I found out there is a single pole for the gauge, and then there is this sensor. I found it at Oreilly's for $15 and change. I'll get it swapped out tomorrow.. its been a long day!!

This sensor is even critical with the speed density system?

Absolutely. Both the speed density and MAF systems rely on the engine temp sensor as one of the three or four core sensors to establish the parameters of timing and injector pulse width.

So that explains why the ol girl just cranked. Ok next Q, how do I adjust the start up idle speed? She feels like she hits 2500 or so at a cold start.

High idle can be a vacuum leak and/or throttle position sensor failure.

Yep. Not much you can do on a fuel injected motor. The computer controls everything. I would start hunting for a vacuum leak like maples suggests.

Vacuum leak - check! I'll go over everything before I start the ol girl tomorrow (after I replace that *insert many curse words here and new ones I make up* sensor that snapped clean off). Why is it you think a simple job that *should* take x amount of time turns in a 5 day ordeal. Sheesh! Ah well, I can't wait to drive her again.. missing my foot rest and clutch!