The passages are most likely filled with carbon.  Pull the EGR valve off and scrape all the stuff out of it.  You may also need to pull the exhaust manifold and run something through the passage in the head/intake to clean it out.
As far as the late opening goes, there is a vacuum modulator that senses pressure in the EGR passage and opens the valve more as exhaust pressure increases. If the passage in the head and intake are clogged, you will have less pressure, which will cause the valve to get less vaccum and open later.