Chevrolet Repair: 1998 Chevy K1500 4X4 vortec V8,, intake manifold gasket, resistor pack

Question
1) coolant leaking not from radiator and not from heatercore, could it be from the manifold intake? would a pressure test be able to tell me where this leak is?
2) heater fan just 'stopped' working..of course on the coldest day! any ideas?  yesterday it only worked on HIGH.....
3) front end seems to wobble - when driving slow or just upon leaving the driveway?  Both wheel bearing have been replaced, this year.
4) fuel pump whining, loud - need replacing?
5) cv boot without clamp for 3 months? oh oh

Answer
Hello Lisa,
1)Pressure test might help. Look at the bottom of the water pump, and the hoses. Be sure to check the connector on the rear of the intake manifold where the heater hose connects.
If you are loosing coolant, but it is NOT dripping on the ground, then the intake manifold gasket is likely. Another possibility is a head gasket, but the manifold gasket is a known culprit.
2)Normally, you will notice the fan not working when you need it most. Just seems to be the way it is.
The system that truck has is a couple relays for the fan, a high speed, and a low speed, and a resistor pack. The speeds are derived by using a combination of relays and resistors, and the high speed bypasses all the resistors. The resistor pack is behind the glove compartment, on the heater housing, and I think your relays are there also, unless they are in the convenience center under the hood. Tap them first to see if that helps. But I would bet you need the resistor pack anyway.
3)I would check the idler arm for sure, as well as the steering components.
4)The fuel pumps do whine. When they quit running, then you need a new one. I would just think the tank may have been bent, and the pump assembly may be touching inside.
5)As long as you haven't been spending a bunch of time fording streams over a foot deep, I doubt that has hurt anything. It will let a little grease escape, but that is not nearly as bad as letting a bunch of water, especially muddy water, in. Slide the boot out of the groove, and squeeze it just a little to see if clean grease comes out, or chocolate pudding. You can actually get a long small tube extension for a grease gun, and replace some of the grease that way, but if there is yukky pudding stuff coming out, you will need to replace that shaft and cv joint before too awful long.

Van