Check my leaning technique

I like to run LOP all of the time. Here is what I do when I am stuck down low. Looking for feedback. O-360-A1A, 100LL, FP

Below 3,000 feet I will fly at 2,400rpm and lean to about 20LOP. At this point my RPM's have dropped to about 2,100rpm. Then I go to Wide open throttle, which causes roughness. I then enrich until the engine is reasonably smooth and back at 2,400rpm. I do it this way because I don't want to lean through the peak at WOT down low, but this way I am not 100% sure that I am actually LOP. At a given lean setting, does the A/F ratio stay relatively steady through different throttle settings? My Fuel flow is about 8.4, which is 70% power IF I am LOP. CHT's are all 350 and below.

Your engine will require infinitely variable amounts of fuel flow based mostly upon RPM/MAP combination. Think of your mixture knob as a restrictor, with any unique setting allowing a specific maximum fuel flow and allowing any flow below that maximum. Any time you make a change that will require an increased fuel flow, such as going from 2100 -> 2400 RPM, you will need to adjust the mixture to allow additional fuel flow to maintain the same air fuel ratio (i.e. the LOP %age).

When I level off at 3000', I adjust approximate throttle for my desired RPM/speed and then pull the knob back till I hear the engine speed fall off. I then increase the mixture as I adjust up to my desired EGT to get 30-40* LOP. I then tweak the throttle setting to the desired RPM or airspeed then re-adjust the mixture back to my desired EGT, if necessary. If you want, you can then enrich to peak and go lean again to hit an exact LOP setting. I have FI / EI and can go well over 100 LOP. With a carb and mags, you want to be carefull not to overdo the pull as it will get real rough if you go to far and upset your passengers.

Larry

It sounds like you do not have a 4 cylinder egt readout. If this is true, there is no way to really know what's going on in each cylinder. Some carb'd engines have good fuel-air distribution; some do not.