5.3 liters is 323.4 cubic inches (5,300 cc) by straight math. Makers round, so the engines sold as 5.3 L measure from 321.7 to 326.1 cubic inches.
The most common: 325.2 ci (Chevrolet 325 (LS)); 325.9 ci (Pontiac 326 (Pontiac V8)); 321.7 ci (Buick 322); 324.4 ci (Oldsmobile 324 (Rocket)); 324.7 ci (Dodge 325); 324.7 ci (Dodge 326).
| Engine | Codes | Years | Bore × stroke | Cubic inches | cc | Cylinders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buick 322 | — | 1953–1956 | 4.000" × 3.200" | 321.7 | 5,272 | 8 |
| Oldsmobile 324 (Rocket) | — | 1954–1956 | 3.875" × 3.438" | 324.4 | 5,315 | 8 |
| Dodge 325 | — | 1957–1958 | 3.688" × 3.800" | 324.7 | 5,320 | 8 |
| Dodge 326 | — | 1959 | 3.950" × 3.313" | 324.7 | 5,321 | 8 |
| Pontiac 326 (Pontiac V8) | — | 1964–1967 | 3.719" × 3.750" | 325.9 | 5,340 | 8 |
| Jaguar 326 | V12 5.3 | 1971–1974 | 3.543" × 2.756" | 326.1 | 5,343 | 12 |
| Chevrolet 325 (LS) | LM7, LH6, LMG / LC9, L83 | 1999–2026 | 3.780" × 3.622" | 325.2 | 5,328 | 8 |
Cubic inches and cc are worked out from each engine's bore and stroke. Years are the model years of the factory cars on this site that list the engine.
Start with the engine code: on 1981-and-later cars and trucks it is a character of the VIN (the 8th on most American makes), and most blocks carry a code stamp. Each engine's page lists its codes and the cars it came in. See the VIN engine code lists by make.
323.4 cubic inches by straight conversion (1 liter = 61.024 cubic inches). Real 5.3 L engines measure 321.7 to 326.1 cubic inches; the table above lists each one.
5,300 cc by definition. The engines sold as 5.3 L range from 5,272 to 5,343 cc.
Makers name engines by rounded sizes. The real size comes from bore × bore × stroke × 0.7854 × cylinders, so two engines sold as the same size are often a few cubic inches apart.