Dean,

absolute values of EGT are irrelevant with respect to leaning.
Completely and totally so. What is relevant is the relation to peak EGT
you are at, regardless of what the absolute value for peak is.

Thus, when you have set cruise power, you lean until the EGT indication
peaks and then falls again. That is your peak setting. Then, under
consideration of what the POH says and what people like John Deakin
say, either continue operating at peak (or lean of it, if your engine
will do that) or enrichen to 100 to 150 rich of peak, that is, until
the EGT falls from peak by that amount of degrees. Again, absolute
value is irrelevant.

Your engine is carburetted, so it will probably not run lean-of-peak
without considerable roughness.

Also, you should aggressively lean during taxi on the ground. You
cannot harm the engine at all by leaning at taxi power settings. Lean
at taxi power until the RPM just rises a little bit. If you lean
further, the engine will stumble or quit. That's where you want to be.
Now, should you forget to enrichen again for take-off (or even the mag
check), the engine will stumble or quit since you have leaned it so
aggressively. This prevents you from taking off leaned accidentally.

--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)