Engine Displacement CalculatorBore & Stroke to Cubic Inches, CC and Liters
Displacement = π ÷ 4 × bore² × stroke × number of cylinders.
Calculate engine size from bore, stroke and the number of cylinders — in inches or millimetres — and get cubic inches, cubic centimetres and liters, plus per-cylinder volume and the bore-to-stroke ratio.
Engine dimensions
8 cylinders × 4.000″ bore × 3.480″ stroke.
Oversquare (short stroke)One cylinder, to scale
Overbore & stroker scenarios
| Change | New displacement | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Bore +0.030″ | 355.1 ci / 5.82 L | +5.3 ci |
| Bore +0.060″ | 360.4 ci / 5.91 L | +10.6 ci |
| Stroke +0.25″ | 375.0 ci / 6.14 L | +25.1 ci |
| Stroke +0.50″ | 400.1 ci / 6.56 L | +50.3 ci |
How do you calculate engine displacement?
Displacement = π ÷ 4 × bore² × stroke × number of cylinders. With bore and stroke in inches the answer is in cubic inches; multiply by 16.387 for cc and divide by 1,000 for liters. A V8 with a 4.00-inch bore and 3.48-inch stroke displaces 349.8 cubic inches — about 5733 cc, or 5.7 liters.
Part of our Engine & Performance calculators — for the core estimate, start with the Horsepower Calculator.
Engine displacement formula
Per-cylinder (swept) volume = (π ÷ 4) × bore² × stroke
cc = cubic inches × 16.387 · cubic inches = cc ÷ 16.387
liters = cc ÷ 1,000
Bore-to-stroke ratio = bore ÷ stroke
Example: 4.00″ × 3.48″ V8
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Area of bore | π ÷ 4 × 4.00² | 12.566 sq in |
| Per cylinder | 12.566 × 3.48 | 43.73 ci |
| Engine | 43.73 × 8 | 349.8 ci |
| Metric | 349.8 × 16.387 | 5733 cc (5.73 L) |
These match the calculator’s defaults.
Turn your dyno torque figure into horsepower with the Horsepower Calculator.
Liters to cubic inches conversion chart
| Liters | Cubic centimetres | Cubic inches |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 L | 1,000 cc | 61.0 ci |
| 1.5 L | 1,500 cc | 91.5 ci |
| 2.0 L | 2,000 cc | 122.0 ci |
| 2.5 L | 2,500 cc | 152.6 ci |
| 3.0 L | 3,000 cc | 183.1 ci |
| 3.5 L | 3,500 cc | 213.6 ci |
| 4.0 L | 4,000 cc | 244.1 ci |
| 5.0 L | 5,000 cc | 305.1 ci |
| 5.7 L | 5,700 cc | 347.8 ci |
| 6.2 L | 6,200 cc | 378.3 ci |
| 7.0 L | 7,000 cc | 427.2 ci |
Oversquare vs undersquare engines
Oversquare (bore > stroke)
Shorter stroke, lower piston speed at a given RPM and room for bigger valves — typical of high-revving engines.
Square (bore ≈ stroke)
A balance of torque and revs, common in many modern four-cylinder engines.
Undersquare (stroke > bore)
Longer stroke for strong low-end torque and often better efficiency, but lower safe RPM.
Changing bore or stroke also changes compression — recalculate it with the Compression Ratio Calculator.
Related calculators
Engine Displacement Calculator FAQs
Multiply π ÷ 4 by the bore squared, then by the stroke and the number of cylinders. Use inches for cubic inches or centimetres for cc.
About 348 cubic inches; the classic Chevy 350 is 349.8 ci, which is 5.73 liters.
Divide cc by 16.387. For example, 2,000 cc is about 122 cubic inches.
1,000 cc. A 2.0-liter engine displaces about 2,000 cc.
Boring the cylinders slightly larger, often by 0.030 or 0.060 inches during a rebuild, which adds a little displacement.
An engine fitted with a crankshaft that has a longer stroke than stock, increasing displacement and usually torque.
No. Displacement is engine size; horsepower depends on airflow, compression, RPM, forced induction and tuning.
About the developer
Manzoor Ahmad
Web Designer & Calculator Developer · 13+ years of web development and SEO experienceI’m a professional pharmacist turned tech geek, and I designed and coded this engine displacement calculator myself. It’s pure geometry, so the results are exact for the dimensions you enter, and the cylinder sketch is drawn to scale from your numbers.
Found a number that looks wrong, or want a feature added? Tell me through my author page — corrections are fixed and re-dated.
Sources
- NIST — Guide to the SI: conversion factors
- SAE International — Engine terminology and standards
- NIST — Unit conversion: cubic inch to cubic centimetre
Disclaimer: Results are exact geometric displacement for the dimensions entered. Manufacturer-quoted displacement may be rounded.
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