Ok my two cents.If it was a short of open in the wires to the egr valve the code would come back on just after clearing the code no time past at all.

Ok so you ports look clean but you can only see a little way in their you need to blow air in both ports and see if it comes out the other side.One gos to the exhaust manifold one the the intake manifold.Check that.

Some times egr valves look good but the solenoid is bad inside.Or the vac diaphragm is leaking or stuck.You cant see that in less you cut the valve open.

Honda has 2 types of egr valves.One is vacuum operated(you will have 3 wires for the lift senser and one vac hose running to it).One is all electronic(you will have 5 wires going to the egr valve 3 for a lift senser and 2 for the solenoid).

If you have a vac operated egr see if you are getting vac to it.

My cents is its a bad or stuck egr but check everything first.

The ticking could be valve lash.