A PIPER 32 AT 3000 FT HAD ENG FAILURE AFTER SELECTING THE ALTERNATE R TANK. LANDED OFF FIELD. FOUND TANK SELECTOR NOT IN CORRECT TANK DETENT.

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I WAS ACTING AS A SAFETY PLT FOR CERTIFIED IFR PLT. HE HAD BEEN FLYING FOR JUST OVER 1 HR PRACTICING APCHS AND HOLDING PROCS; I SUGGESTED HE SHOULD SWITCH TANKS FROM THE L TO THE R. HE TURNED THE BOOST PUMP ON AND SWITCHED TANKS; VERIFIED FUEL FLOW AND SWITCHED OFF THE BOOST PUMP. A FEW MOMENTS LATER; THE ENG STARTED TO RUN ROUGH AND THEN LOST RPM'S. WE NOTICED THERE WAS NO FUEL PRESSURE. AFTER TRYING TO REGAIN FUEL PRESSURE BY TURNING ON THE BOOST PUMP AND SWITCHING TANKS BACK TO L; THE ENG FAILED TO REGAIN PWR. FUEL PRESSURE NEVER WAS RESTORED. WE IDENTED A LNDG SPOT AND TURNED TO IT. WE MADE AN EMER LNDG ON A HWY. THE NEXT MORNING; AN A&P MECH CHKED THE FUEL SYS OUT. HE DIDN'T FIND A PROB AND SAID IT WAS POSSIBLE THE PLT DIDN'T GET THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE IN THE R POS. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE ON A 1962 CHEROKEE 160 HAS NO STOPS AT THE TANK POS. THERE IS ONLY A LIGHT DETENT. HE SAID IF YOU DON'T GET IT IN THE 10 OR 2 O'CLOCK POS; FUEL FLOW WILL BE RESTR AND COULD EVEN BE CLOSED. THIS ALL HAPPENED AT 3000 FT MSL IN THE DARK AND OUR LNDG SPOT WAS AT 900 FT MSL.