Why do you guys remove the bracket and have to fuss with the aluminum bolts of the bracket? Especially on an N52 passenger side, that is not crowded at all over there. On the N54/N55 it maybe required which I don't know, due to turbo(s) and related piping, but N52 passenger side is not.
I had replaced my engine mounts which is N52 Xdrive without removing the brackets. I only needed a 24 inch 3/8 inch extension though.
First support the engine from bottom with a block of wood on oil pan area and jack underneath it. Try to use strong area of the oil pan, maybe a corner of it, and use big enough block of wood to spread the load. Make sure to use a flat area, so it is supported securely with the jack and not precariously about to slip off of the jack. Use common sense.
If you have an engine support bar to hold the engine from top, it is better option to use.
Either way make sure engine is supported not to fall down, and can be lifted up, and it is securely held.
For passenger side, initially loosen but not remove the engine mount top nut from top of engine with the 24 inch extension, socket and ratchet. Penetrating oil will help to loosen the nut, better spray from top a day before, spray again just before doing this. Then on the driver side loosen the engine mount top nut two turns or so, again from top with 24 inch extension, but keep it holding then mount in place. Same with penetrating oil usage. The nut on driver side is loosened but not removed to allow some more movement to lift the passenger side of the engine.
Then remove the two bolts bolting the passenger side engine mount to the subframe from underneath.
Then lift the engine up with the jack very slowly by watching if it is pushing on anything on top, pulling on any wires etc. Engine being tied on the driver side mount will tilt up on the passenger side. Rotate and tilt the engine mouth from underneath until its top stud comes off the bracket hole, and then rotate it 90 degrees and fish it out from under the engine. Place the new one is same way and so on. From what I remember rotating the engine mount 180 degrees at first had helped to free its top stud off of the bracket hole, but it could have been 90 degrees, just play around with it until comes off. It has been two or three years since I had done this.
For the driver side you make sure the passenger side engine mount is bolted and in, but again the top nut is loosed two turns or so to allow more movement. Taking out the driver side engine mount is more difficult since it is more crowded there, especially on XDrive with the axle. For that I had to remove the black fuel line protection bracket on the side inner rail. And I had to remove the top strut brace bar because the engine when lifted up on driver side had started squishing the intake manifold vacuum sensor on the brace bar. I had to fiddle more with the rotation and orientation of the engine mount on driver side more but it came out when it was at right angle and position, and new one got in same way.
There is a DIY pelicanparts and fcpeuro or rmeuropean for engine mount replacement, they all from what I remember do it this way, without removing the bracket.
Hope this helps.
Edit: DIYs I had used when doing mine:
pelican parts:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/BMW/tech...eplacement.htm
RMEuropean:
http://www.rmeuropean.com/bmw-e90-en...placement.aspx