E39 540 Coolant leak

[Speedster56]

I have been told there is a coolant leak that has been traced to the rear of the engine. Tech said the auto trans would have to come out to determine the actual source, but he suspected it was a seal in there.
Has anyone had to deal with this? Does it sound reasonable that the trans would have to come out?
I concur with their assessment that the leak is at the back of the motor where the bell housing joins the block.
Thanks for any comments

[atcjorg]

Coolant Transfer Feed Pipe

[atcjorg]

and no trans usually not needed to come out for coolant leaks. this is a notorious leak in the v8 used to cost 3-4k to fix but there are new solutions that cost about half that, get a good diagnosis on where the leak is before you pull the trans

[Speedster56]

Thanks for your advice. I had it checked by a high quality BMW shop and they determined it was leaking from the small holes at the rear of the motor between the block and the intake manifold. Said it was likely old, decaying gaskets and would show a leak when cold, but likely not leak when warm. This appeared to be the case so far. I am monitoring it to see how it develops.
Again, many thanks for your comments.