Doing the Oil Sump gasket in an E39 M52 is already a nightmare, unless you cut the gasket and patch the cut areas with RTV (see bimmerfest E39 posts by "mudbone").
It is 10x worse with the E53 b/c the axle runs through it!!!

The good news is in many cases of what appears to be oil sump leak, it is in fact from the OFH Gasket!!!

This was my case, oil was pooling at bottom of engine simulating oil sump leak. But coming from E39, I know the culprit is the $5 OFH Gasket. Sure enough after the OFHG fix, the engine is bone dry.

I did the OFHG together with the CCV b/c once the OFH is out, the CCV job is MUCH easier. I wrote a DIY below...

DIY: 2006 X5 3.0i CCV Overhaul (and OFH Gasket too):

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/x5-e53-forum/100940-diy-2006-x5-3-0i-ccv-overhaul.html

 

Cn 90 - thanks for the quick response. I have done the ofhg , CCV, valve cover gasket and vanos feed line so I am confident that my leak is the pan gasket. I have read that in some BMW models you have to lift the engine and disconnect motor mounts in order to remove the pan..... Just not sure if that is required with my E53.

 

How many miles in your E53?

The OFH gasket is tricky:

1- Aftermarket gasket (especially Elring brand) tends to leak. BMW brand is better, only $5.

2- Technique is important too. Bolts #1 ---> #4 need to be torqued in stages, usually about 3 times once they are snugged down. This allows the gasket to take new shape and squeezed down slowly.
If not, it will leak again, simulating oil sump leak.
I posted the procedure for Bolts #1 ---> #4 below, see post #91:
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=414315&page=4