How to clean egr port on engine

[bikeguy18974]

Right now I have my IM off and I am cleaning it. I cleaned the port (on the IM) that goes from the engine and ends right at the front left of the IM. It was caked with cabon build up and black sludge. I believe this is the egr return port. If not please correct me.

Anyway, the port on the engine itself is also caked with crud. I would like to clean this but i am not sure how. I don't want to knock off chunks of soot and sludge and have it dropped down the port only to have it later possibly returned to the system and clog things up.

Any idea how to clean this without screwing anything up? If its not clear what i am asking let me know and I'll snap some pics of the actual port. Thanks dave