Sorry to bump an old thread, but would this be possible with less disassembly, i.e without having to lift the engine (axles, etc. go without saying based on the set-up)? The reason I ask is because I just replaced the oil pan gasket on an '06 330i (E90) where a similar procedure is required however there are several work-arounds - most guys cut the gasket and use Permatex for sealing where the cut was done - I on the other hand managed to drop the oil pan onto the subframe and use that space to snake the gasket under the oil pump and to the front of the engine (3" of space in the back and 1" at the front of the engine) and while it was difficult it was completely doable.

If someone can confirm that there is this kind of room to work with I'll document my repair and post it up as I don't think I can spare that much time to do it the long way. TIA.