What is the engine displacement?
Type the bore, the stroke and the number of cylinders. The engine displacement calculator shows the engine size in cubic centimetres (cc), litres and cubic inches, and the swept volume of one cylinder.
- Displacement (cc)
- 5,733
A 8-cylinder engine with this bore and stroke displaces 5,733 cc (5.73 L, 349.8 in³).
- Displacement (L)
- 5.73
- Displacement (in³)
- 349.8
- Per cylinder (cc)
- 716.6
Displacement (cc): 5,733. A 8-cylinder engine with this bore and stroke displaces 5,733 cc (5.73 L, 349.8 in³).
How to calculate
Computes engine displacement from bore, stroke and the number of cylinders, in cubic centimetres (cc), litres and cubic inches.
Example with the default inputs (Bore 4 in, Stroke 3.48 in, Cylinders 8): A 8-cylinder engine with this bore and stroke displaces 5,733 cc (5.73 L, 349.8 in³).
Method: Displacement = π ÷ 4 × bore² × stroke × cylinders; litres = cc ÷ 1,000; cubic inches = cc ÷ 16.387064.
- Displacement is the swept volume only: the combustion chamber above the piston at the top of its stroke is not included.
- Every cylinder has the same bore and stroke.
- 1 in = 2.54 cm exactly, so 1 in³ = 16.387064 cm³.
Worked examples
Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.
- Bore 4 in, Stroke 3.48 in, Cylinders 8 gives Displacement (in³) 349.847758, Displacement (cc) 5,732.977599, Displacement (L) 5.732978.Source: Cylinder volume π × r² × h (OpenStax, Prealgebra 2e, §9.6 Solve Geometry Applications: Volume and Surface Area). https://openstax.org/books/prealgebra-2e/pages/9-6-solve-geometry-applications-volume-and-surface-area
- Bore 3.386 in, Stroke 3.386 in, Cylinders 4 gives Displacement (cc) 1,998.228857, Per cylinder (cc) 499.557214.Source: Cylinder volume π × r² × h (OpenStax, Prealgebra 2e, §9.6 Solve Geometry Applications: Volume and Surface Area). https://openstax.org/books/prealgebra-2e/pages/9-6-solve-geometry-applications-volume-and-surface-area
- Bore 3.937 in, Stroke 5.013 in, Cylinders 1 gives Displacement (cc) 1,000, Displacement (L) 1.Source: Cylinder volume π × r² × h (OpenStax, Prealgebra 2e, §9.6 Solve Geometry Applications: Volume and Surface Area). https://openstax.org/books/prealgebra-2e/pages/9-6-solve-geometry-applications-volume-and-surface-area
How it works
- One cylinder: V₁ = π ÷ 4 × bore² × stroke (the area of a circle of diameter "bore", times the stroke)
- Engine displacement: V = V₁ × cylinders
- Litres = cc ÷ 1,000; cubic inches = cc ÷ 16.387064
Bore and stroke can be typed in millimetres, centimetres or inches (1 in = 25.4 mm). π is a 64-bit float, so the results are floats.
Output format. Cubic centimetres and cubic inches show 1 decimal, litres 2 decimals, each rounded half up, with trailing zeros left off.
Assumptions
- Displacement is the swept volume only, without the combustion chamber.
- Every cylinder has the same bore and stroke.
- Bore and stroke are more than 0 and at most 5 m; 1 to 24 cylinders.
Worked examples by hand
A V8, 4.00 in bore, 3.48 in stroke. π ÷ 4 × 4² × 3.48 = 43.73 in³ per cylinder; × 8 = 349.85 in³; × 16.387064 = 5,732.98 cc = 5.73 L.
A four-cylinder, 86 mm bore, 86 mm stroke. In centimetres: π ÷ 4 × 8.6² × 8.6 = 499.56 cc per cylinder; × 4 = 1,998.23 cc = 2.00 L.
One cylinder, 10 cm bore, 400/π mm stroke. π ÷ 4 × 10² × (40 ÷ π) = 25 × 40 = 1,000 cc = 1 L.
Other questions people ask
How do I calculate engine displacement?
Each cylinder sweeps a cylinder of air as the piston moves: π ÷ 4 × bore² × stroke. Multiply by the number of cylinders. A V8 with a 4.00 in bore and 3.48 in stroke displaces π ÷ 4 × 4² × 3.48 × 8 = 349.85 in³, the "350" of a small-block engine.
How do I convert cc to cubic inches?
Divide by 16.387064, because 1 in = 2.54 cm exactly and 2.54³ = 16.387064. So 5,733 cc is 349.85 in³, and 2,000 cc is 122.05 in³.
How many cc is a liter?
One liter is 1,000 cm³, so a 1,998 cc engine is a 2.0 L engine. Makers round the liters to one decimal in the model name.
What is the difference between bore and stroke?
The bore is the diameter of the cylinder. The stroke is how far the piston travels from the bottom of its path to the top. An engine with the same bore and stroke (86 × 86 mm) is called "square".
Does displacement include the combustion chamber?
No. Displacement is only the volume the piston sweeps. The space left above the piston at the top of its stroke is the clearance volume; together they set the compression ratio.
Does a bigger displacement mean more power?
Usually more torque and power at the same engine speed, because each turn moves more air. Turbochargers, engine speed and design change the power a given size makes, so displacement alone does not give horsepower.