Originally Posted by
peterh337
I think the bottom line is that anybody flying a carburreted engine, with their fairly standard mismatch of fuel distribution, and without a multicylinder EGT/CHT instrument, is flying with hands tied behind their back as far as getting optimal economy, and they have to play it very safe, and they need to fly full rich a lot of the time when somebody else with the proper kit can operate optimally.
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As was stated earlier in this thread for your average carburated 4 cylinder engine, you are much more likely to damage it by over heating than by over leaning with, for example, long climbs at low airspeeds even if full rich mixture is maintained. The very poor mixture distribution pretty much ensures that you can't get smooth engine operation at a dangerous lean condition.