Engine Displacement Calculator
Work out engine displacement in cc, liters, and cubic inches from bore, stroke, and cylinder count.
Displacement
2 L
Each of the 4 cylinders sweeps 499.6 cc, for 1,998 cc total.
Cubic centimetres
1,998 cc
Litres
2 L
Cubic inches
121.9 in³
How it works
Displacement is the total volume the pistons sweep as they travel from the bottom to the top of their bores. For one cylinder that's the area of the bore times how far the piston moves — mathematically, pi over four, times the bore squared, times the stroke.
Multiply that single-cylinder volume by the number of cylinders and you have the whole engine's displacement. Enter bore and stroke in millimeters and cylinder count, and the tool does the arithmetic and the unit conversions for you.
You get the answer three ways: cubic centimeters, liters (the number on the badge, like 2.0 or 5.0), and cubic inches (how American V8s are often described, like a 350). An 86 mm bore and 86 mm stroke across four cylinders lands right on 2.0 liters.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between bore and stroke?
Bore is the diameter of the cylinder — how wide it is. Stroke is how far the piston travels up and down inside it. A wide bore with a short stroke tends to rev high; a narrow bore with a long stroke favors low-end torque.
Why doesn't 1998 cc get called a 2.0 exactly?
Carmakers round displacement to a tidy badge number. An engine that measures 1,998 cc is marketed as 2.0 liters because that's close enough and reads cleanly. This calculator shows the precise figure and the rounded liter value side by side.
How do I convert cubic inches to liters?
One cubic inch is about 16.39 cc, and 1,000 cc make a liter. So a 350 cubic inch engine is roughly 5,735 cc, or about 5.7 liters. The tool reports all three units at once so you don't have to convert by hand.