i bought the filter and gasket set from Pelican parts for $22 i hope its not a pile of junk it should be here soon.

You are absolutely doing the right thing and ensuring many more years of a solid transmission!

Keep us posted in the future withhow your transmission is operating. I had fluid and filter changed on my E39 at 166,000 miles and the transmission ended up failing about 8 months later. I had no symptoms prior to changing fluid.

I have considered just doing a drain and fill on my X5 but I am a bit skittish.

I changed fluid and filter at 70,000 miles. It looked pretty good. I am about to do it again at 107,000.

A happy tranny = change the fluid / filter every 100k miles ( minimum ) ...

I did mine at 100k and I am currently at 105k and it has never shifted better!

By BMW filter, I meant the same ones that the dealer sell. I thought that was easy enough to comprehend.

Misleading Title.

Respectfully, what do you think the title should have been?

^"A post-op and so-far well-adjusting tranny with only one procedure left to go"?

Very good! Well thought out but not as creative, interesting or inviting is it?