Actually, taking the oil pan off really isn't that bad of a job. I did my oil pump in less than two hours, start to running engine.

Or..... what I usually do is, take a screwdriver, or something similar, and a POWERFUL shop vac, and use the screwdriver, or whatever, to scrape crap off, WHILE holding the vacuum nozzle near, to pick up the crap. If it isn't baked on too hard, just use the 'narrow area' attachment for the vac to scrape with.

 

I'll probably start with the shop vac and if not satisfied that it is clean enough, flush through the top to bottom. Man it looks like Christmas on my dinner table.