Originally Posted by trentcdrums

Thanks for the steps.

Couple questions. Did you have to remove the arm off the engine the attaches to the engine mount? - No

Did you have enough clearance for your manifolds to drop? I couldn't tell based on the comments. - Without the studs, the manifolds just drop from the bottom. Remove the front manifold first.

Did the majority of your studs unscrew off the head verses staying in like the should? I see you ordered new ones regardless. - The 13 out of 16 came out so I removed the rest. It is easier to remove without them.

How long did this take you? - 8 hrs spread across two weekends.

I am looking to get these for my 3.0 2002. Thoughts?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/BMW-X5-3-0L-Both-Manifold-Catalytic-Converter-2001-2002-2003-2004-2005-2006/253086527915 -

I too looked at the cheaper options vs OEM but could not justify the cost. I settled for the middle-tier variety, which in this case, Cat converter made by Eastern Catalytics. So far, 8,000 miles no issue so far.