Helpful Calculations

Immediately below is a list of the various charts/calculations on this page. Clicking on an

item in the list below will take you to the respective section of this page.
Engine Displacement
Stroke Length
Cylinder ore Diameter
!ormula !or "illing #istons
Compression $atio
%otal Combustion Chamber &olume !or a Specific Compression $atio
Cylinder 'ead Deck "achining %o $educe %otal Chamber &olume
Engine Displacement Top
Engine displacement ( bore ) bore ) stroke ) *.+,-. ) number of cylinders

E/ample0 Cylinder bore diameter ( ..***1
Stroke length ( 2..,*1
Number of cylinders ( ,

Engine displacement ( bore ) bore ) *.+,-. ) number of cylinders
Engine displacement ( ..*** ) ..*** ) 2..,* ) *.+,-. ) ,
Engine displacement ( 2.3.,-,4 cubic inches 5round up to 2-* cubic inches6
Stroke Length Top
Stroke Length ( engine displacement / 5bore ) bore ) *.+,-. ) number of cylinders6

E/ample0 Engine Displacement ( 2-* cubic inches
Cylinder bore diameter ( ..***1
Number of cylinders ( ,


Stroke Length ( engine displacement / 5bore ) bore ) *.+,-. ) number of
cylinders6
Stroke Length ( 2.3.,.,4 / 5..*** ) ..*** ) *.+,-. ) ,6
Stroke Length ( 2..,*1
Cylinder Bore Diameter Top
Cylinder bore diameter ( s7uare root of 8engine displacement/5stroke ) *.+,-. ) number
of cylinders69


E/ample
:0
Engine Displacement ( 2-* cubic inches
Stroke Length ( 2..,*1
Number of cylinders ( ,


Cylinder bore diameter ( s7uare root of 8engine displacement/5stroke ) *.+,-.
) number of cylinders69
Cylinder bore diameter ( ;82.3.,.,4 / 52..,* ) *.+,-. ) ,69
Cylinder bore diameter ( ..***1


E/ample
:0
<=SC=$> has a 2-, cubic inch ma/imum engine si?e rule. If we use a 2..,*1
crank@ what is biggest bore allowedA

E/ample
:0
Engine Displacement ( 2-, cubic inches
Stroke Length ( 2..,*1
Number of cylinders ( ,


Cylinder bore diameter ( s7uare root of 8engine displacement/5stroke ) *.+,-.
) number of cylinders69
Cylinder bore diameter ( ;82-, / 52..,* ) *.+,-. ) ,69
Cylinder bore diameter ( ..*.41
ormula or !illing "istons Top
5!or .*2B material only6
"iston dome cc#s to gram con$ersion% &cc '$olume( ( B., grams 5weight6

%his is a good way to remove e/cess dome without having to reCcc piston0 "ill a small
amount and reCweight piston until total reduction is reached.

E/ample0
= piston has :B.-cc effective dome volume. %he desired effective dome
volume is :*.-cc.

%o remove B.*cc@ cut -.4 grams 5B ) B.,6 from the piston dome.
Compression )atio Top
Compression ratio ( 5swept volume D total chamber volume6 / total chamber volume

It is important that we understand two terms and their relationship to compression ratio0
Swept &olume and %otal Chamber &olume. Swept &olume is the area the piston travels
through bottom dead center to top dead center. %otal Chamber &olume is all the area above
the piston at top dead center. %his would include the area above the piston in the cylinder
block@ the area of the compressed head gasket@ the combustion chamber@ the valve pocket@
and the dome of the piston. %he compression ratio is the relationship of the swept volume to
the total chamber volume.

%o start@ we need to know the Swept &olume of one cylinder. %he si?e of one cylinder figured
in cubic centimeters.

S*ept $olume 'cc( ( cylinder bore diameter 5inches6 ) cylinder bore diameter 5inches6 )
stroke 5inches6 ) :B.,+*.

E/ample0 Cylinder head cc ( +B.:, cc
"iston ( flat top with two valve pockets that measure a total of . cc
Head gasket ( ..***1 round and *.*2,1 thick when compressed

Deck clearance ( %he piston at top dead center is *.*:*1 below the surface
of the deck

+asket cc ( bore ) bore ) compressed thickness ) :B.,+*.
+asket cc ( ..*** ) ..*** ) *.*2, ) :B.,+*.
+asket cc ( +.,2 cc

Deck clearance $olume ( bore ) bore ) deck clearance ) :B.,+*.
Deck clearance $olume ( ..*** ) ..*** ) *.*:* :B.,+*.
Deck clearance $olume ( B.*-3 cc

Total chamber $olume ( +B.:, D +.,2 D . D B.*-3
Total chamber $olume ( ,4.*+ cc

<ow we are finally ready to calculate the compression ratioE

E/ample0 S*ept $olume ( +:4.4B cc
Total chamber $olume ( ,4.*+ cc


Compression ratio ( 5swept volume D total chamber volume6 / total
chamber volume
Compression ratio ( 5+:4.:4 D ,4.*+6 / ,4.*+
Compression ratio ( 3.220:
Total Combustion Chamber ,olume or a Specific
Compression )atio Top
Cylinder head chamber $olume ( swept volume / 5desired compression ratio C :6

E/ample0 S*ept $olume ( +:4.4B cc
Desired compression ratio ( ::0:


Cylinder head chamber $olume ( swept volume / 5desired compression ratio C
:6
Cylinder head chamber $olume ( +:4.4B / 5::0: C :6
Cylinder head chamber $olume ( +:.44 cc
Cylinder Head Deck !achining To )educe Total Chamber
,olume Top
Cylinder head deck material remo$al ( 5current chamber volume C desired chamber
volume6 ) deck material per cc

y e/perience@ we have learned that a small block Chevy cylinder head will need *.**41 deck
removed for each cc we want to reduce. =n open chamber big block will take *.**-1 per cc.
%hese numbers will put us in the ballpark. =lways check by 1ccCing1 the cylinder head
chamber volume for accuracy.
E/ample0 Current chamber $olume ( ,4.*+ cc
Current chamber $olume ( +:.44 cc
Deck material remo$al per cc ( *.**41


Deck material to remo$e ( 5current chamber volume C desired chamber
volume6 ) deck material per cc
Deck material to remo$e ( 5,4.*+ C +:.446 ) *.**4
Deck material to remo$e ( *.*,41
"iston Speed 'ft-min.(
a ( $#"
b ( Stroke of Engine 5ft6
Formula: B / a / b
Example: B / ,*** / .222 ( -2B, ft/min
Compression )atio 'Total S*ept ,olume(
a ( Combustion Chamber &olume at %DC
b ( Cylinder Displacement 5cc6
Formula: 5a D b6 / a
Example: 5:**.** D ,B2.+*6 / :**.** (
"iston Dome ,olume
a ( 'ead Chamber &olume 5cc6
b ( Fasket &olume 5cc6
c ( Deck to #iston &olume 5cc6
d ( Cylinder Displacement
e ( %arget Compression $atio
Formula: 5a D b D c C 5d / 5e C
:.**666 / C:
Example: 54* D :* D :* C 5,B2.+ /
53.B2+ C :.**666 / C: ( B*cc
3.B2+
)od )atio
a ( $od Length
b ( Stroke of Engine
Formula: a / b
Example: 4.* / 2.- (
:.+:.
)od Length
a ( Cylinder lock Length
b ( Deck Clearance
c ( %arget Compression 'eight of #iston
d ( Stroke of Engine
Formula: a C b C 5c D 5d / B66
Example: 3.*B- C .*B- C 5:.* D 52.- / B66 ( 4.B-
"iston Compression Height
a ( lock Length
b ( Stroke of Engine
c ( $od Length
d ( Deck Clearance
Formula: a C 5b / B D c6 C d
Example: 3.*B- C 52.-* / B D 4.**6 C
.*B- ( :.B-*
Cylinder Displacement
a ( ore 5Inches6
b ( Stroke of Engine 5Inches6
c ( <umber of Cylinders
cc Formula: a / a / .+,-. / b /
:4.2,+ / c
cc Example: . / . / .+,-. / ..* /
:4.2,+ / 4 ( .3.B.B:.B
CI Formula: a / a / .+,-. / b / c
CI Example: . / . / .+,-. / ..* / 4
( 2*:.-324