L39 PLT BECOMES DISORIENTED IN IMC WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ADJUST THE CDI.

Narrative

I ASKED FOR THE CURRENT WX. CTLR REPLIED '600 MIST' AND 3 MI VISIBILITY. I STATED I'M GOING TO HAVE TO GET A POP UP IFR. CTLR ASKED WHICH APCH I PLANNED ON. I TOLD THE CTLR VOR FOR RWY 31. HE THEN CLRED ME DIRECT TO THE VOR AND DSND TO 4000 FT. I DSNDED TO 4000 FT; THEN WAS CLRED DOWN TO 2500 FT. I DSNDED TO 2500 FT AND FLEW DIRECT TO THE VOR. I HAD SET UP THE VOR FREQ AND SET THE OUTBOUND COURSE. I CALLED OVER THE VOR AND STATED I WAS OUTBOUND. THE CDI NEEDLE WAS STUCK TO THE R AND DID NOT MOVE; I TRIED L AND R TURNS BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE GAUGE WAS NOT RESPONDING. I TOLD THE CTLR THE VOR-CDI WAS NOT WORKING ON MY ACFT AND THAT I NEEDED VECTORS. WHILE I WAS TWISTING KNOBS TRYING TO CORRECT THE PROB; I WAS DSNDING SHARPLY AND TURNING AT THE SAME TIME. MY WIFE STATED 'WATCH YOUR ALT.' THE CTLR TOLD ME 'LEVEL YOUR WINGS.' I STATED I NEEDED VECTORS TO AN ARPT THAT WAS VFR. HE TOLD ME TO TURN TO 360 DEGS AND CLB TO 4000 FT; WHICH WOULD PUT US BACK ON TOP VFR. I COMPLIED AND THE CTLR SAID TULSA WAS 40 OR 45 NM BUT WAS IFR. AT THIS POINT I TOLD THE CTLR THAT FUEL WAS STARTING TO BE AN ISSUE. HE TOLD ME TO CONTACT APCH AND HANDED ME OFF. THE NEW CTLR CAME BACK WITH AN ARPT AT 25 MI AND A HEADING OF 180 DEGS. I SAID WE'D TAKE THAT AND TURNED TO 180 DEGS. SHE THEN CLRED ME TO 2500 FT AND VECTORED ME TOWARD THE ARPT. ON SHORT FINAL THE RED FUEL LIGHT CAME ON. WHAT DID I LEARN FROM THIS? ALWAYS PLAN FOR THE WORSE CASE SCENARIO; HAVE PLENTY OF FUEL FOR AN ALTERNATE ARPT AND THE REQUIRED FUEL/TIME ON TOP OF THAT. ALWAYS FLY THE ACFT FIRST. GET ON TOP VFR; THEN TRY TO GET THINGS SORTED OUT. IF WE HAD AN AUTOPLT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN ENGAGED. DON'T TRY TO FIX THE PROBS WHILE FLYING IN THE SOUP. I'VE LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON; AND I WON'T BE IN THIS SIT AGAIN.