Agree with Jabba 100%. The advance pilot seminars (
Advanced Pilot) and everything ever written by John Deakin (search Avweb under the heading 'Pelican Perch') should be compulsory reading before ever considering going LOP (they'll also stop you getting into trouble ROP as well!)
Not all engines will support LOP. In my aircraft type there is a large percentage of the fleet which has had power upgrades from 280HP to 350HP and as a consequence the engines go from having high compression ratios to low compression. The guys operating the low compression engines are almost totally unable to operate LOP without overheating the engine.
In 2 weeks time I'm having an Auracle 2120 engine monitor fitted. It's TSO'd as a primary engine instruments and so will replace the RPM, MAP, FF and other bits and pieces too. Compared to the JPI960 which is also TSO'd as a replacement, I chose the Auracle as it has a reversionary mode with (supposedly) fully redundant hardware and software such that I should never lose both screens at once.
Without this type of information available (all cylinder EGT & CHTs as well as individual TITs) I'd never consider running LOP - even though it's a Lycoming and at lower enough power settings it should be impossible to do any damage.
UTR