Daily Figures Edition No Sign-Up • Free Forever Vol. XII — No. 204
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Engine Displacement Calculator

Get displacement from bore, stroke and number of cylinders.

Displacement
—
Total engine size.
Details
In liters—
Cubic inches—
Per cylinder—
 —
Show our math
Enter your figures above to see the step-by-step working.
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How the Engine Displacement Calculator Works

An engine’s displacement is the total volume its pistons sweep. For one cylinder it’s the area of the bore (π/4 × bore²) times the stroke; multiply by the number of cylinders for the whole engine. An 86 mm bore and 86 mm stroke “square” four-cylinder works out to about 1,998 cc — a 2.0-liter.

Displacement is usually quoted in liters or cubic inches and is a rough guide to an engine’s power and torque potential, before forced induction.

displacement = π/4 × bore² × stroke × cylinders

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate engine displacement?

Find one cylinder’s volume (π/4 × bore² × stroke) and multiply by the number of cylinders.

What is a 2.0 liter engine in cc?

2,000 cubic centimeters — a liter is 1,000 cc.

What is bore and stroke?

Bore is the cylinder’s diameter; stroke is how far the piston travels. Both are usually given in millimeters.

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