valve cover vaccum

the air idle control motor keeps getting gummed up with carbon. can i run the valve cover vaccum line to the exhaust manifold instead of the intake tube? saw it on race vehicles

uh... I'd say no. If it's the line to the intake tube and connects at the front of the valve cover, that's a fresh (and filtered) air intake. It's not a vacuum line. If it's the rear of the valve (the vacuum line), it connects to the intake manifold. You won't get vacuum from the exh.

So which is it, front or rear?

The vacuum line is to pull blow by out of the engine and recirculate it through the intake. It seems like running it to the exhaust line would just force more exhaust into your valve cover and crankcase and blow a lot of oil out of the seals. It would pressurize everything instead of vacuuming it.

the line keeps pulling soot out of the valve cover and killing the air idle control motor