PLT OF AN EXPERIMENTAL ACFT; A MUSTANG II; HAS THE SCREW ON THE FUEL SELECTOR COME LOOSE WHILE CHANGING TANKS AND IS UNABLE TO SEAT THE SELECTOR. ENG QUITS AND ACFT IS LANDED ON A HWY WITH NO INJURY TO PLT OR ACFT.

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I WAS CHANGING FUEL TANKS FROM AUX TANK TO MAIN. THE SCREW HOLDING THE FUEL VALVE SELECTOR HANDLE HAD LOOSENED. THE HANDLE SLIPPED. I WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE EITHER TANK. THE MAIN HAD APPROX 2 HRS 15 MINS FUEL AND THE AUX HAD APPROX 10-15 MINS REMAINING. THE ENG LOST PWR DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE TERRAIN BENEATH WAS VERY INHOSPITABLE. MAINTAINING BEST RATE OF GLIDE IAS; I WAS ABLE TO REACH NM HWY 68 NEAR CELCALDE; NM. TFC WAS LIGHT. I LANDED IN THE NBOUND LANES. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL; EXCEPT FOR MY RAPID BREATHING. IN MY JUDGEMENT; THE HWY WAS THE ONLY POSSIBLE LNDG GND WHICH WOULD NOT HAVE RESULTED IN INJURY TO ME AND DAMAGE TO THE AIRPLANE. I PUSHED THE AIRPLANE INTO THE MEDIAN. I ASCERTAINED THE CORRECT POS FOR THE SELECTOR VALVE HANDLE. I TIGHTENED THE SET SCREW. THE VALVE OPERATED NORMALLY. RIO ARRIBA COUNTY SHERIFFS AND A NM STATE POLICEMAN ARRIVED. I EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE OFFICERS HELPED PUSH THE AIRPLANE ONTO THE PAVEMENT. THEY BLOCKED TFC. I DID A CAREFUL RUNUP AND TOOK OFF WITHOUT PROB. I HAVE ADDED AN ITEM TO THE PREFLT CHKLIST: MAKE SURE FUEL VALVE HANDLE SET SCREW IS SECURE. THE FUEL VALVE IS A WEATHERHEAD MODEL 6747. THE ACFT; A MUSTANG II; IS AN EXPERIMENTAL. I AM IN DISCUSSION WITH AN A&P ABOUT REPLACING THE VALVE WITH A SUPERIOR MAKE AND MODEL; IF ONE IS AVAILABLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE DID NOT BUILD THE ACFT BUT HAS OWNED IT FOR MANY YRS AND HAS OVER 1200 HRS FLYING IT. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE BUT MAY HAVE BEEN GRADUALLY LOOSENING FOR SOME TIME. THE MAIN FUEL TANK IS OVER THE PLT'S KNEES BTWN THE FIREWALL AND THE INST PANEL. THE FUSELAGE TANK IS BEHIND THE SIDE-BY-SIDE SEATS. THE SELECTOR ITSELF IS LOCATED ABOUT 6 INCHES FROM THE PLT'S R ANKLE. THE PLT CAN SEE THE ARROW AND ALSO LISTEN FOR THE CLICK WHEN IT SEATS PROPERLY. NORMALLY THIS IS VERY EASY TO OPERATE AND IS NOT A BAD SYS. THE PROB IS THAT THE POS OF THE SCREW IS NOT NOTICEABLE WHEN LOOKING DOWN ON IT. IT WILL ALWAYS BE CHKED DURING PREFLT FROM NOW ON UNTIL IT IS REPLACED WITH A SUPERIOR MODEL IF ONE IS AVAILABLE. RPTR DOES NOT THINK THIS IS A COMMON PROB AND SINCE HOME BUILT ACFT ARE A PRODUCT OF THE BUILDER'S DESIRES HE HAS NO IDEA HOW MANY OF THIS TYPE SELECTOR THERE MIGHT BE IN FLYING ACFT.