CWC Camshaft Identification: How Easy is It to Identify?

Since CWC casts blank cams, identifying them is arduous and cinch at the same time. Sounds confusing? Well, if you’re lucky, you may see the mark CWC laser etched on the back of the camshafts, just like the image below.

However,  they make raw castings for different cam-core companies. Hence, you won’t find any additional markings (like top or bottom engravings) that can help you (mainly the engine manufacturers)  with CWC camshaft identification.

So how do you actually make sure your vehicle engine has a CWC camshaft, or how can you buy its after-market version? Well, you’ve to understand the whole process to get these queries answered. Let’s start!

Overview of CWC

Here’s an overview of CWC that can help you know better about their cams.

TopicDescription
Brand Name      Cambell, Wyant, and Cannon (CWC)
EstablishmentIn 1908
Acquired by Textron  In 1956
Acquired by Kautex  In 2013
Headquarters  Muskegon, Michigan, USA
Manufactured Components  Camshafts, Crankshafts, and Balance Shafts
Known forProducing rough cast engine parts manufacturing components that require lobe hardening for modern engine applications technical expertise and superior quality in material hardening and rough machining cutting-edge manufacturing techniques, such as oil quenching, tempering techniques,  flame heating, and cryogenic freezing Manufacturing customized components by altering the metal microstructure

CWC camshafts, now operated by Kautex Textron, started in the early 1900s when Cambell, Wyant, and Cannon established this foundry. They became one of the top manufacturers of blank camshafts, and at one time, they supplied about 85% of the blank cams around the world.

In 1956, Textron Inc. acquired CWC, which later became a part of the Kautex family when Textron sold the assets to the company in 2003.

Located in Muskegon, MI, the foundry still uses the name CWC and carries its glorified legacy to manufacturing different engine components, including camshafts.

CWC is known for its best-in-class rough-cast engine parts, lobe hardening processes, rough machining, and superior manufacturing techniques mentioned in the table.

Some Facts About CWC Camshafts: What Makes CWC Stand Out

Now it’s time to check out why CWC Camshafts are the most sought-after ones in the market. Check out the key facts below.

  • Around one-third of the vehicles manufactured in North America include CWC camshafts, with the company making 12 million camshafts every year and shipping around 50,000 cams every day
  • CWC camshafts are flame-hardened, and they’ve almost zero failures from the 5 million flame-hardened camshafts they produce every year
  • CWC is the single-source cam supplier to Toyota in North America
  • CWC supplies camshafts to General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Fiat-Chrysler
  • CWC also supplies camshafts to customer facilities in China, South Korea, and Mexico
  • CWC is known for withstanding higher engine stress and saving significant costs compared to other assembled/steel camshafts

CWC Camshaft Identification

There are two ways you can identify CWC Camshafts;

  1. Firstly, by checking out its material and process
  2. Secondly, by checking the marking on the camshaft,

Let’s discuss both these methods in detail below.

1. Materials and Process of CWC

CWC camshafts include unique materials and manufacturing processes. So you can have a primary idea about a CWC camshaft by its looks and manufacturing uniqueness. Check out the table to see the specs related to its materials and processes.

VariablesSpecs
MaterialsDuctile Iron Alloyed Gray Iron
Casting/MoldingCupola Melt: 1 Cupola Holding Furnaces: (2) 50-ton Ajax Molding: Horizontal Cope & Drag / Green Sand Molding
Rough Machining  CNC Machining End Milling/Centering/Chamfering Gundrilling
ProcessFlame Hardening Austempering/Selectively Tempered Ductile Iron (SADI)

Likewise, from materials and casting to rough machining and process, everything makes CWC camshaft unique in its own way.

The best-in-class material ductile/alloyed gray iron gives it far more endurance than its steel or assembled counterparts. Thus, the rough machining and casting are also unique for CWC camshafts.

On the other hand, the best part is how these camshafts are made. Whether it’s about flame hardening or CWC’s own Selective Tempered Ductile Iron (SADI), it exhibits superior ductility, strength, and wear-resistance for all modern engine applications up to 255 KSI HZ.

2. Marking on the Camshaft

It’s trickier to identify a camshaft by looking at the markings etched on it.

One possible reason is engine builders don’t etch ID marks since they don’t want to hand another engine builder their secrets regarding camshafts.

However, luckily many CWC camshafts have the name “CWC” laser etched on the back. You can see that in the following image collected from the official website of CWC.

Although some camshafts have casting numbers or stamped numbers on the cams, they have nothing to do with the identification of a camshaft.

But do all CWC camshafts have the CWC marking? No. It’s because CWC makes blank or white-labeled cams under different brand names.

That means they make raw castings for different cam-core companies, such as Engine Power Components, Competition Cams, and Camshaft Machine Company.

In that sense, if you find the labeling as EP1, CMC, or COM-Cams, it’s possible that CWC has made these camshafts, but they’re sold under the above brand names.

But they can sometimes be labeled as CWC EP1 to ascertain that it’s actually cast by your desired brand CWC.

How to Buy an Aftermarket Camshaft?

CWC makes camshafts that are mostly manufactured for factory vehicles, and finding a camshaft is actually the engine builders’ job. But since it makes blank cams, there are aftermarket camshafts available under different brand names that you can consider buying.

The camshaft is a critical engine component that decides the torque curve and horsepower of the engine. So a few things you need to consider while buying it includes:

  • The cam must match the application and components going into the valvetrain, such as the induction system, cylinder heads, etc.
  • Take the expert’s help for the right-fit cam since experience has no alternative in this regard
  • There is a wide range of specs in camshafts, such as lift, lobe separation, duration, etc. that can decide an ideal cam that can make engine generates the maximum possible power
  • Don’t pick a camshaft with more lift or duration than what your engine needs to avoid over-cam issues

Final Words

CWC camshaft identification is a pretty easy task if the name is laser etched on the back of the cam. But there are no other markings engraved that could identify this camshaft.

However, CWC is a humongous name in the camshaft market for factory vehicles, and we’ve seen facts regarding how wide their coverage is and what makes them so superior. Being a blank cam manufacturer there’s every chance that you’re buying their camshaft or already have it under a different brand name.

The article discusses what materials and processes are used in manufacturing CWC camshafts that can help identify a CWC cam. But again, it’s generally the engine builder’s or an expert’s job, so buy an aftermarket cam based on expert opinion.

Meta: Do you find CWC camshaft identification difficult? Check out the article to know how you can identify a CWC camshaft in the easiest possible way.

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