Patent ID: 7086365

Claim:
A method for making a composite air intake manifold body for an internal combustion engine, said manifold body having an inside surface and an outside surface defining a header and a plurality of runners communicating with said header wherein said header has an inlet opening for communication with an air supply and wherein each of said runners have an outlet port for passage of air into an air intake port of an internal combustion engine, said method for making said air intake manifold body comprising the steps of: (a) selecting structural fiber cloth and a resin for impregnating said structural fiber cloth for making a composite material, said resin generally liquid when in an uncured condition and solid when in a cured condition, (b) fashioning a core mold from meltable material having an outside surface corresponding to said inside surface of said air intake manifold body, (c) fashioning at least two complementary outside mold portions having adjoining inside surfaces corresponding to said outside surface for said air intake manifold body, (d) covering said core mold with said structural fiber cloth to make a cloth lay-up, (e) enclosing said cloth lay-up within said outside mold portions, (f) injecting said resin into said cloth lay-up to make a resin impregnated lay-up, (g) allowing said resin of said resin impregnated lay-up to cure to make a cured lay-up, (h) removing said outside mold portions from said lay-up to expose a lightweight composite intake manifold shell, (i) heating said cured lay-up above the melting temperature of the core mold material causing said core mold material to melt and drain out of said cured lay-up.