Boneyard Tools

Engine Displacement Calculator

Enter the cylinder bore, piston stroke and number of cylinders to find total engine displacement in cubic centimetres, litres and cubic inches.

How to calculate engine displacement

  1. Enter the cylinder bore in millimetres.
  2. Enter the piston stroke in millimetres and the cylinder count.
  3. Read the total displacement in cc, litres and cubic inches.

Examples

Square 2.0L four

bore 86 mm, stroke 86 mm, 4 cylinders
1998 cc (2.0 L, 121.9 ci)

Classic small-block V8

bore 101.6 mm, stroke 88.4 mm, 8 cylinders
5733 cc (5.7 L, 349.9 ci)

Frequently asked questions

What is engine displacement?

Displacement is the total volume swept by all the pistons as they move from bottom to top of their stroke. It is a rough guide to an engine's air capacity and potential power.

What is the engine displacement formula?

Per cylinder volume is pi/4 times bore squared times stroke. Multiply by the number of cylinders for total displacement, here converted from cubic millimetres to cc.

How do I convert cc to cubic inches?

Divide the displacement in cc by 16.387064. For example, 1998 cc divided by 16.387064 is about 121.9 cubic inches.

Is a bigger displacement always more powerful?

Not always. Forced induction, higher rpm and better breathing can let a small engine outpower a larger one, but for naturally aspirated engines more displacement usually helps.

What is the difference between bore and stroke?

Bore is the cylinder diameter and stroke is how far the piston travels. A square engine has equal bore and stroke; oversquare engines rev higher, undersquare make low-end torque.

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