lot of time seems to be spent discussing the merits of one particular cooling system feature versus another. Brass/copper radiator versus aluminum. Electric fan versus mechanical. Three-row? Four-row? Dual pass? Thermostat or no? What psi radiator cap? There is a lot to digest, but once it’s said and done, it seems the cooling system is a wrap. But there’s more to reducing the temps of an engine, and, more specifically, the powertrain as a whole, than just the cooling system and its related components.

Knee deep in the LS swap on our buddy Bruce Valley’s ’57 Chevy wagon, we had decided not to route the transmission fluid through the radiator. Keeping a hard-working V-8 cool is difficult enough, add to it hot transmission fluid and that poor radiator would be doing all it could to keep up. Instead, we opted to add an external cooler to handle the transmission fluid duties and contacted the guys at Derale Performance to walk us through what we needed to know. After a short phone conversation, we ended up with a longer list of components than we originally intended, due to the education we received from the Derale team.

Originally, engine oil cooling wasn’t given much of a thought and transmission cooling an afterthought, being routed through the radiator where the fluid’s heat was absorbed by the engine coolant (which itself was trying to cool at the same time!). For the most part, this system proved effective, at least until power output increased to a level where it no longer did. Today, it’s understood that nearly all late-model powerplants and anything else making decent power can only benefit from the addition of external coolers.

Bubbles Up

n the world of high-performance driving, there’s nothing more unsettling than a mushy brake pedal. Oftentimes this is the direct result of shortcuts taken when installing a new master cylinder. The most universal cause of a spongy brake pedal is air in the system. Brakes are applied using hydraulic pressure created at the master cylinder. If even a small amount of air is trapped anywhere in the system, this creates that unsteady pedal.

One of the most common causes of air in the system when replacing or repairing a master cylinder is skipping the process of bench bleeding the master. To be blunt, that shortcut just doesn’t work. Air is nearly guaranteed to be trapped inside the master cylinder when the bench procedure is ignored. This happens because master cylinders are often mounted in the vehicle at an angle, trapping air in the master that never leaves.

So, all master cylinder manufacturers including Wilwood recommend that anytime a master cylinder is installed or if it is removed to be rebuilt, that the bench bleeding process be properly executed.

By TOMMY LEE BYRD Photography by The Author

here was once a time when no one wore seatbelts, and there was no such thing as a child seat. Kids had free reign, whether it was standing in the rear floorboard and holding onto the front seats or laying down in the package tray. These days, the laws are stricter, and we realize the dangers of driving amongst the general public. If you have kids, then it’s important for them to ride along in your vintage Chevy (in hopes of passing along your love of old cars). For this, seatbelts are a must, and proper installation is key to keeping your family safe in the event of an accident.

Our subject is a ’64 Chevelle sedan, which is already family friendly because it has two extra doors in the back that are practically designed for children. However, our car did not come equipped with rear seatbelts. A single rear seatbelt was installed several years ago, but it was time to complete the package and install a new set of belts and hardware throughout.

We ordered six Powder Blue aviation-style seatbelts from Retro Belt, and then ordered three Autoloc seatbelt anchor kits (two anchors each) from Summit Racing to secure the rear belts. The anchors help spread the load, so the bolt or washer doesn’t pull through the sheetmetal in an impact. The anchors are affordable and come with big ⅝-inch bolts and washers. The install requires a drill, and we used a step bit to open up the holes to ⅝ inch. The rest of the install requires simple hand tools to remove the seat, install the belt hardware, and then reassemble the rear seat. We spent an evening in the shop to add the rear seatbelts and freshen up the front belts as well. It was well worth the effort to make sure the kids can ride along to car shows and get the full experience, while also being safe.