Toyota Repair: EGR Valve on 1996 Toyota Corolla, vacuum pipes, ted ritter

Question
Hi,
I have a follow up question to the one that Ted Ritter answered on 9/16/2004.  I have the same car, 1996 Toyota Corolla that has 190k miles on it.  The check engine light came on and after running diagnostics on it it was found to have the same problem as referenced above, it needed the EGR valve replaced.  In the response that Ted gave, he said to remove the EGR valve and to clear the bottom pipe and replace.  I am looking at the prices of purchasing a new EGR valve.  Is it possible to "fix" the EGR problem without purchasing a brand new valve, or is it best to just purchase the new valve.  
Also, as I am not familiar with cars and engines, is it a simple process to access the EGR valve in a toyota Corolla and to replace it by myself.  Or should I take it to a professional.  

Thank you,
Natosha  

Answer
sorry for the late reply. I am facing some login problems. Well EGR valve can not be blamed straight away. There are many parts connected to EGR. Solenoid, vacuum pipes etc. First make sure that the EGR valve is defective. Then  try to replace it. There are many ways to test an EGR valve.