Quote:
Originally Posted by mweisdorfer
You should replace the hose/ valve & PCV valve every 50k. Excess crank case pressure from these parts failing can and will lead to Rear main seal & valve cover seals breaking.
You can get an upgraded PCV valve & cap at Rob Beck's.
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OP's complaint is excess vacuum, not excess pressure. In addition, he has a 328, presumably with N51 or N52 engine, not an N54, so Rob Beck can't do anything for him.
I have little experience with N51/52, never having owned one. However, excess vacuum seems unlikely to be caused by cracks in the valve cover or hoses, which would lead to too little crankcase vacuum, not too much.
Excess vacuum could be caused by PCV valve failure (it should close off at idle to prevent the full manifold vacuum from being applied to the crankcase). In some N5x models, the PCV is integrated into the valve cover and I believe is not available from BMW as a separate part. However, I think it is serviceable/replaceable with aftermarket pieces.
That said, hoses may also need replacement. As mweisdorfer points out, they do degrade over time.
To your original question, I don't know if intake manifold removal is necessary but I suspect it is not, if you have the valve cover integrated PCV valve
Hopefully someone with N52 experience will chime in here.