The CPU and MMU managed the cache, so its presence allows the CPU to hold on to frequently accessed instructions, which it can then access at the speed of the CPU and not at the speed of the data bus. This allowed for a marginal improvement in performance, as instructions could be read and...
No, I would not expect that any cache attached to the '040 would have an impact on the 601. I would expect that it would be disabled, since the '040 was disabled while the 601 was enabled. The only reason I tried to keep both installed was because there were specific technical applications...
In the early 1990s when I was in graduate school, I bought a Centris 650 new. Along the way, I purchased a NewerTech Quadra Cache card to get some additional performance. I also modded that machine back in the day to accept a faster clock chip, per my chats with Marc Schrier and Marlin Prowell...