My 1973 280 needs the valve seals replaced. It burns oil like crazy, which fouls the spark plugs and carburetor and makes the oil solid black, as well as, of course, blowing plumes of smoke from the tailpipe. I have done quite a bit of research on the job and it still seems daunting, very daunting. I don't have nearly enough expertise do to the job myself, but I have even less money to pay someone to do it so I'm my own mechanic :-/ I am 17 years old and this is my first car. I have been restoring a 1971 Jeepster Commando, so I have basic experience working on a cars, but the Jeep is substantially simpler than the Mercedes... German engineering. I bought the car with the problem, and just drove it around for a while letting it smoke (almost a year actually, but I don't commute very far). Driving it like that takes such a toll on the engine that now it's performance is so poor it is completely un-drivable.

Anyways. I have the service manual on pdf and it doesn't really make the procedure very clear. Getting past the camshafts and chain is what befuddles me the most.
Also, to crank the engine to get each piston at TDC I will have to remove the radiator, correct?

Does anyone who has done this have anything to say about this? Step by step guide? If anyone has made a video of the procedure they would be my hero , but I've scoured the internet and found no such thing.

Every single bit of advice helps.