Chrysler Repair: Oil Leak, rtv sealant, nox emissions

Question
    I own a 1997 Sebring (2.5L V6) and I have a moderate (~1 quart every 1000 miles) oil leak. I resealed the pan with a gasket and RTV sealant and it still leaked. So I then got some GM Assembly sealant(best sealant ever!) and resealed it again.
    It slowed down a whole lot, but what I found is that there is fresh oil coming from the bottom 3 exhaust manifold bolts on both sides of the engine and dripping down to the pan. My question to you is just replacing the studs gonna fix it? I am familiar with the double nut stud removal technique, but I'm afraid to snap them off and get a real problem. I was also told by a mechanic friend to use loctite, but that wouldn't work because of the heat right?
    Also, aside from erratic idling while changing gears, does the EGR system really do anything, or is it just for emissions? The idle just dips when I change from Reverse to Drive and I don't really see a need to replace it. Am I damaging anything over the long run?
    Thanx for your time.

Answer
Hi Charlie,
Are you certain that the oil leak has anything to do with the exhaust manifold? While I have not worked on that engine, my general experience would lead me to wonder what oil passages are related to the exhaust manifold...I don't know of any. I would be inclined to look above the exhaust manifolds for leaks related to the valve covers that are then dripping down around the exhaust manifolds. But maybe there is some reason that I don't know about on this engine.
The egr system is designed to lower the temperature in the combustion chamber to reduce NOX emissions. I would try to improve the functioning of the egr valve rather than let it fail to operate properly. My experience has been that the valve is often just lazy due to build up of crud along the stem, and that if you simply spray some solvent such as carb cleaner on the exposed part of the stem (between the valve body and the vacuum solenoid) where it enters the valve body and then use the slot in the stem to move the valve open and closed that you can restore its proper function. The engine will run better though I guess there is no harm if the valve is shut all the time. The difficulty occurs when it is stuck ajar. I doubt there is any damage, but if you aren't required to get a periodic smog inspection then only the air pollution increase is the downside.
I would appreciate knowing what you find when you look for the source of your remaining oil leaks.
Roland