1. What is Engine Displacement?

Engine displacement is the total volume of all the cylinders in an internal combustion engine. It's a key specification that indicates engine size and power potential, typically measured in cubic inches (ci) or liters (L).

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the engine displacement formula:

Where:

• \( V \) — Displacement in cubic inches
• \( bore \) — Cylinder bore diameter in inches
• \( stroke \) — Piston stroke length in inches
• \( cylinders \) — Number of cylinders

Simplified Calculation: The formula can be approximated as \( bore^2 \times stroke \times cylinders \times 0.7854 \) for easier manual calculation.

3. Importance of Displacement Calculation

Details: Displacement directly relates to engine power and torque potential. It's used for engine classification, performance tuning, and comparing different engines.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter bore diameter and stroke length in inches, and number of cylinders. All values must be positive numbers (bore > 0, stroke > 0, cylinders ≥ 1).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between bore and stroke?
A: Bore is the diameter of the cylinder, while stroke is the distance the piston travels within the cylinder.

Q2: How does displacement relate to engine power?
A: Generally, larger displacement means more potential power, but engine design, compression ratio, and other factors also affect power output.

Q3: What's a typical displacement range?
A: Passenger cars: 90-400 ci (1.5-6.6L), performance cars: 300-500+ ci (5-8.2L), motorcycles: 40-120 ci (0.6-2.0L).

Q4: How do I convert cubic inches to liters?
A: Multiply cubic inches by 0.016387 to get liters (1 ci = 0.016387L).

Q5: What is oversquare vs undersquare engine?
A: Oversquare has bore > stroke (high-revving), undersquare has stroke > bore (torque-oriented), and square has equal bore and stroke.