Centaurus, I understand your passion of using throttle to simulate failures instead of the mixture, but can you perhaps answer what I asked in the post above? Has cutting the mixture directly caused an accident? As Chimbu said, usually once the student has called for feather, zero thrust was set, so I fail to see how cutting a mixture = accident. Perhaps handling AFTER the failure is the more prudent point.
When I DID conduct engine failures using mixture cuts, I had my own personal limits ie not <300' no rising terrain ahead (ie north rwy at Cobden etc) prior to doing that. However, this thought process didn't stop when I started using throttle cuts!! Point is, what difference does it make?
I am not trying to suggest that cutting mixtures willy nilly is a smart move, but nor is the throttle for an 'unsuspecting' student.
I also would like to see any data or evidence that advancing a throttle to full, versus a mixture to full is going to apply power any sooner.