My experience with engine design is not from an aviation standpoint, but comes from working on and designing 'race' engines of differing types, mainly in the car/bike world. The way things are done is vastly different, for example I was lucky enough to have a look at Lotus' clear engine. To actually see the combustion process happening in front of you rather than just modelling it is fascinating, especially with pneumatic valves!
I agree totally that much of this knowledge is useless to pilots. We only have very rudimentary information given to us and all engine management techniques need to be as idiot proof as possible. Which is why I still can't understand why this responsibility is given to pilots when much more accurate and efficient methods are available so easily now.
I would definately like to read the book you mention as I have limited knowledge about aviation piston lumps and I may be missing something, as your explanation does make sense when I think about it. The engines I'm used to run at much higher loads and with much tighter tolerances and less 'real world' useability so I could be using the wrong mindset about them.
Just a quick aside. the fact is, that EGT WILL drop when leaned too far, BUT there is a greater heat transfer due to the speed of the flame front. This does go against a lot of thinking. Less temp so how could we get hotter conditions? ICP obviously plays a role, but after ignition the pressure increases beacause of the gas expansion. Lean mixtures expand greatly, simply because they can! Nice and warm in there.
I have to say that I may have slightly shot myself in the foot by simply talking about a lean mixture and not clarifying exactly what I mean. I am certainly not talking about mixtures far below stoichiometric where the engine is only just running and I think we are talking around the same point. Getting the old grey matter working though, not often that happens on a Sunday.
The links you have put up are very interesting, 48k is a lot of data.
Looking at the EGT trace, I cannot believe the spread of temps. Who designed that? John Deakins comments about the gash design seem very true!
A quick Q, is AVGAS oxygenated? or is it a bog standard fuel?