95 zr580 vs. 95 zr580efi - Snowmobile Forum: Your #1 Snowmobile Forum

yammirider · 01-25-2006, 09:26 PM

Which sled is better accelerating and which has better top end. Which is usually more reliable. I was also wondering if there is any problems that these sleds are prone to have. How do they compare to other 580's and 600's of there year.

BC_Dan · 01-25-2006, 09:37 PM

Set up for the elevation, the carb version will be faster both places. EFI wil be ahead if you have changes in elevation or in temperature unless the carb has a chance to rejet for conditions. The 1995 EFI uses a battery type EFI, they work fine as long as you have good juice in the battery. EFI is usually 2-3 pulls to get going, no matter what the conditions.

Both will suffer from driveshaft bearing failure on the PTO side. If the speedometer ever quits working, check the bearing for failure; when it fails, it drops the driveshaft just a bit and shears the key that drives the speedometer gear.

580 engines were known to blow piston skirts on pistons, especially at about 2500 to 3000 miles. There are also pretty common failures of the throttle safety switches both on the carb and in the throttle block that makes it very difficult to start the engine from time to time; those systems can be disabled but you lose the safety feature.

That said, they are both a TON of fun to ride on the twisties. They are one of the best cornering sleds out there, even today.

letitsnow · 01-26-2006, 11:43 AM

as far as engine power compared to other 580 class engins the skidoo 583s were a bit quicker but those sleds don't have the suspension.

dlange · 01-26-2006, 11:53 PM

My brother has a 96 580 ext efi deluxe with over 6000 miles. All we have done is general maint. Like what was said, keep the battery charged and all is well. I looked at the top end this fall and all is well. Compression is good to. No cracks on the skirts or antything. I had it running 90 mph up north last week. Overall I think these are good sleds.-Dave