It is hard to say much about EGR delete because many states in the US require the EGR to be present and working to pass inspection.
I happen to live in a non-Emissions state so I can talk about what could be done (Those living in Emission states – DO NOT READ!).
The before mentioned plate from eBay will work. Another option is to get a thin piece of steel and cut it to the shape of the EGR gasket (or valve) and insert between the intake and EGR valve. I don't recommend using thin aluminum (soda can material) sense it could melt (maybe).
Option 2. Another (the best option?) is to find an older 318 intake to install – but man-handling a cast iron intake on the car is a chore.
3. I have seen people leave the EGR valve in place but put a BB or a small ball bearing in the vacuum hose by the EGR valve for a hidden look, or a stick, a screw, or any other similar sized object into the hose end for a easier way.
4. They make intake gaskets with the exhaust crossover ports not made into them (for racing) – but not for a car to be driven on the street. I do recommend the exhaust heating the intake for better driviblity. The problem with this method is you still have to man-handle that cast iron intake (like option 2).
A normal 318 gasket set (but I hadn't ran across this one, with the third gasket, yet).
No exhaust crossover.
Another item is the exhaust crossover on the intake – I would estimate that 75-80% of the EGR equipped 318's still on the road, the exhaust crossover is either mostly or completely stopped up – which makes the EGR inoperative in that case. If a person removes the EGR valve and notices that one or both ports are stopped up – I sorry, but the EGR valve is already inoperative to begin with.
Some cases those exhaust ports can be cleaned out on car, but most cases, it requires the intake to be removed and a labor intensive job to “start digging the carbon deposits” out for diamonds.
If a person has a hand held vacuum pump, you can attach it to the EGR valve. Start engine and at idle, start to apply vacuum to the EGR valve. When the valve opens (on a car with a working EGR)., you will notice the idle speed to drop – if not kill the engine outright. If applying vacuum to the EGR valve with engine idling – does nothing, then you either have a bad EGR valve and/or stopped up intake passageways.
BudW