Engine Displacement Calculator
Calculate engine displacement in cc, cubic inches, and liters from bore, stroke, and cylinder count.
Useful for engine builds, tuning, and comparing specs.
Engine displacement is the total volume swept by all pistons in an engine during one complete stroke cycle. It’s one of the most fundamental engine specifications, directly related to power potential, fuel consumption, and the engine’s character. Displacement is measured in cubic centimeters (cc), liters (L), or cubic inches (ci).
Formula: Displacement = (π ÷ 4) × Bore² × Stroke × Number of Cylinders
Where Bore and Stroke are in the same units (mm or inches).
Conversions: cc ÷ 1,000 = Liters cc ÷ 16.387 = cubic inches cubic inches × 16.387 = cc
What each variable means:
- Bore — the diameter of the cylinder opening (the hole the piston moves in).
- Stroke — the distance the piston travels from Bottom Dead Center to Top Dead Center.
- Number of Cylinders — 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, or 12 in most passenger vehicles.
Worked example: A 4-cylinder engine with 82mm bore and 82mm stroke:
Volume per cylinder = (π ÷ 4) × 82² × 82 = 0.7854 × 6,724 × 82 = 0.7854 × 551,368 = 433,000 mm³ = 433 cc per cylinder
Total displacement = 433 × 4 = 1,732 cc ≈ 1.7 liters
This is a typical small-car engine.
Common engine displacements:
- Motorcycles: 125 cc to 1,800 cc
- Compact cars: 1.0L to 1.6L
- Mid-size cars: 1.8L to 2.5L
- Performance cars: 2.5L to 4.0L
- Trucks/SUVs: 3.5L to 6.2L
- Large trucks: 6.0L to 15.0L (diesel)
Bigger displacement generally means more power, but modern turbocharging allows small-displacement engines (like a 1.5L turbo) to match or exceed the output of naturally-aspirated engines nearly twice their size.