3.1 engine oil and water(custard like mixture) getting inside EGR valve

[kmoon1967]

Greetings!
My 1994 Grand Am SE (3.1) is having a problem. We all know what it looks like when oil and water get mixed together-that custard like substance. That is getting in the EGR valve! What would cause this? A blown intake manifold gasket? Head gasket? This custard substance is also seen in the valve cover and on the oil filler cap-not much but enough to cause concern. This is my wife's car. I have worked on it before but nothing too major. All of my cars are older and therefore much easier to work on and repair. I do know that when oil and water mix together it is not a good thing for the engine. The car also won't pass an emissions test and this is probably the reason why.
It still runs fine but I must remedy this problem as soon as possible.
Any thoughts and insight would be greatly appreciated.

[GTP Dad]

How far does she drive this car each day? I would suspect you are seeing a combination of oil and moisture that builds up in an engine when it is not driven far enough to heat the engine up to operating temperature.
Everyone recommends that the vehicle be driven at least 12 miles to properly heat up the crank case to get the water out of it. If she drives less than that I would believe that this is where the water is coming from.
Have you checked the coolant level? If it is not going down then the manifold gaskets are probably ok. If the vehicle runs alright without hesitation then i would suspect that the head gaskets are ok as well. I would think that you may want to change the oil to see if there is any water in the oil. Drain a small sample out of the pan, you can do this by loosening the drain plug and letting some drip into a cup or pan.
Put it in the freezer, if there is ice in it or if the oil freezes solid then there is a significant amount of water in the oil and you probably have a problem otherwise, you can look elsewhere.
As far as the emissions test, replace the pcv valve on the car and you may need to replace the egr as well since it probably is caked with carbon or blocked for some other reason. I would believe that this will probably cure the problem. Shouldn't cost much either. Good Luck!

[n2racing]

Keep an eye on the crankcase oil. These engines were noted for having trouble with the lower intake gaskets leaking coolant into the oil. GM has service bulletins and update gaskets for just such problems.
Good Luck!