I have a 1990 300E (160K miles) that is using about 1 quart of oil every 1,000 miles. There are no drips, so I know it's either valve stem seals or rings. The dry/wet compression test tells me it's bad seals. Also, the car passed the smog test marginally with the max allowable HC, so I know I need to get on top of this.

I have the mechanical abilities to change the seals myself, but I'm trying to get as prepared as possible before I dig in to it. I plan to modify an old spark plug to hook the air hose up and change seals one cylinder at a time (with the head on). I have the manual, but it does not do a very good job of illustrating the step-by-step process.

Do I need any special tools to compress the valve springs, or is a universal lever-type compressor adequate?

Can anyone provide some guidance and advice?

Thanks!
Dennis