GA PLT DECLARED EMER DUE TO FUEL STARVATION.

Narrative

DEPARTED HOME ARPT OF HEF ENRTE DXR WITH AN EXPECTED FLT TIME BTWN 2 - 2 1/2 HRS. PASSED CALDWELL OVER MY R WING; AND THEN DIRECTLY OVER LINCOLN PARK (A NON-TWRED FIELD N OF CALDWELL); MONITORING CALDWELL TWR FREQ FOR TFC INFO. 5 MINS OR LESS AFTER PASSING LINCOLN PARK; THE ENG DROPPED TO NEAR IDLE; RESURGED; AND DROPPED AGAIN. MY IMMEDIATE REACTION WAS TO PUSH THE MIXTURE TO FULL RICH AND PITCH TO BEST GLIDE SPD. WITH BOTH OF THESE ESTABLISHED AND THE ENG APPARENTLY RUNNING AT 1/2 PWR; I TURNED R TO HEAD TOWARD EITHER LINCOLN PARK OR CALDWELL. WITH GLIDE AND TURN TOWARD DEST ESTABLISHED; I CALLED MAYDAY ON CALDWELL TWR FREQ. CALDWELL TWR IMMEDIATELY ORDERED ALL ACFT TO REMAIN CLR. CALDWELL CLRED ME FOR STRAIGHT-IN APCH AND INSTRUCTED ME TO SQUAWK 7700. WHEN RADAR CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED THEY IDENTED ME AS 6 MI AWAY. AT THIS POINT THE ENG AGAIN LOST PWR. I TOLD CALDWELL I WOULD BE UNABLE TO MAKE THE FIELD AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO THE NEARBY NON-TWRED FIELD. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO TURN R APPROX 90 DEGS TO 260 DEGS; AND LINCOLN PARK WAS 4 MI DISTANT. THE ENG WAS EFFECTIVELY IDLE AT THIS POINT AND I WOULD NOT GLIDE MORE THAN 1 MI. I IDENTED A LONG SCHOOL YARD WITH MULTIPLE FIELDS AND A RACETRACK THAT SEEMED TO BE A GOOD OPTION. I INFORMED CALDWELL THAT THAT WAS MY INTENDED LNDG SPOT. WITH GLIDE ESTABLISHED AND THE FIELD MADE; I ATTEMPTED TO FIGURE OUT THE ENG PROB. FUEL AND FIRE WAS MY THOUGHT: ELECTRICAL SYS LOOKED GOOD; BUT FUEL -- I REALIZED I HAD NEVER SWITCHED WING TANKS SINCE TAKING OFF 2 HRS EARLIER. I CHKED MY APCH SPD AND TRAJECTORY ONCE AGAIN AND THEN IMMEDIATELY SET TO RESTARTING THE ENG. FUEL SELECTOR FROM THE R (EMPTY) TO THE L (FULL) TANK. PRIMED 3 QUICK TIMES. STARTER ENGAGED. THE ENG DID NOT START. I REALIZED THE LINE WAS UNPRESSURIZED. FUEL PUMP ON. PRIME AGAIN. STARTER ENGAGED. THE ENG STARTED. I ESTABLISHED CLB AND MY ORIGINAL (NBOUND) HDG. I INFORMED CALDWELL TWR THAT THE CAUSE OF THE ENG OUT WAS FOUND AND FIXED; AND APOLOGIZED QUICKLY BUT INTENSELY FOR THE EXTREME DISTURBANCE OF THE PAST MINS.