Hey, I have a shuttle Z that won't start. I have new fuel in it, a good reading on the glow plug ignitor, fuel in the line, etc. I don't know much about heli's and don't know what to set the carb or transmitter switches and levers to.

Man, I think you better read up on helis, radio programming for them, and read up on you TX manual! Not knowing much about helis and trying to start one up w/o knowing how it's setup or how the TX is programmed is a good way to get yourself hurt! If you're new to helis, check out http://www.raptortechnique.com for some general info, then get yourself a book (Ray's Authoritative Heli Manual is great), and a simulator (RealFlight G2 is great). Things are hard enough even with this background knowledge and sim experience, trust me! If you try to fly your heli with no sim experience, you'll most likely get just one flight out of it!

Here's a good package deal on the book and sim at Heliproz...
http://www6.mailordercentral.com/hel...tem=7&mitem=43

PKH, I should have put more info and background in my previous post. I just want to get it started to check out the motor not to fly it. I had the shuttle clamped to a picknick table so it can't take off. I had gotten it used a couple of years ago and want to start it prior to selling it. I also have a Whiteman practice stand that came with it but it seems to missing a part of it. I am new to heli's but not to R/C or nitro. I searched the web to see if I could find a downloadable manual for it but couldn't find one. I've decided that I'm not going to fly heli's, not at this point anyway, I just want to verify that it starts. How can I find info on the throttle settings to start it up?

RaptorTechnique has some good info on engine tuning & starting procedures. If you just want to start it up and idle it, you can probably just disconnect the throttle linkage and adjust the throttle by hand, then you don't have to figure out how the TX has the throttle set up. Just have a firm hold on the blade grip and be ready to pinch/pull the fuel line to the carb if revs too high (cutting the throttle off completely should kill it as well). If you're not sure if the engines been tuned properly, you can follow the raptortechnique instructions or your engine manual to get a rich initial setting for the carb. Start with just a little throttle at a time, you want enough to start and idle but not enough to get the RPM high enough to engage the clutch.

If you want to do more than just start it and idle it, you should probably figure out how the throttle is setup on your TX so you can rev it up remotely while it's strapped down. Main thing is to make sure you don't have your throttle stick too high, or an idle-up setting turned on when you try to start it!

On the left side of the helicopter where the muffler is situated the throttle is too.If you're looking at the heli at the left side of the heli and the tail is to your right, then if you push the throttle lever all the way to the left you have full throttle so you should have the lever just a couple degrees from the right open and that should be enough to idle.
I took my main blades off when testing the engine but you must not rev the engine for long and not high either or else you'll overheat the engine.It's safer than leaving the main blades on but if you want to give it full throttle then you should leave the blades on.
An when you start the heli you can prime it by opening the throttle fully and then put your finger on the exhaust muffler exit for a two seconds whilst you put the starter on but don't have the glow driver on at this point.Then close to idle and put the glow driver on and he should fire.The main needle valve should be about 1 and 1/2 turns open and bottom end should be about two turns open but I suggest you leave it where it set at the moment and only change main needle.
The most important thing when starting the heli is make sure you're holding the main rotors by the yoke and that you can close the throttle quickly if the heli revs too high when you start it or you could possibly break the clutch.

Thanks for all the info Tuned, I'm not sure what you mean by holding the main rotors. Are you saying to hold on to them while trying to start it? What does that do for it. Please explain?

It is more of a safety issue to hold the baldes at the centre(yoke or bladeholder) so that if the engine starts and the throttle is open too much or the idle-up switch is on the clutch would engage and start to spin the blades and if you don't have control of the heli you or someone else may get injured.Where as if you hold the blades with one hand and start the motor using the starter(assuming it is a top-start or belt started) with the other hand no one can get hurt.The only thing that will happen if the engine is idling to high and you're holding the blades the clutch will burn out after a while.
Also make sure you have your radio next to you and are in the sub-trim menu or use the mechanical trim lever (if you don't have a computer radio) to lower the idle if you start the engine and it wants to turn the rotors.

Thanks Tuned. I understand what you mean now. I just got my airplane in the mail last week and from starting that up I see some mistakes I was making with trying to start the heli. I'm pretty sure I can get it started now. Biggest thing is I just wanted to see if it would start before I sell try and sell it. I don't want to sell something that doesn't run.