Welcome to my digital home! There are lots of articles you might find helpful buried in this site on topics such as modifying an Alfa Romeo 159, rebuilding a Lotus 7 (Robin Hood 2B), not to mention a ton of stuff on technology in general. It’s all here somewhere, so use the search function or navigate using the menu structure. if you want to talk, reach out via the contact function, I usually do answer!
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Alfa 159Once the planning was complete and I had the Amp prepared for some serious load, it was over to the car for a complete strip of the boot and sound proofing. The approach taken was to utilise a number of different sound proofing materials once I stripped the car back to the shell.
To start with , a Bitumen material was used to create a panel deadening effect to eliminate rattles and vibrations. This was applied to all panels in as much quantity as was viable. The second stage was to utilise a 12mm thick high density foam to act as a sound proofing material. This was used to create a sound proof shell in the boot to stop the low frequencies going anywhere but into the cabin, as such, this material was not used on the parcel shelf, where the bitumen product was, but was utilised on every other surface that was externally facing. Where it was just not possible to utilise the thick 12mm foam, I made use of a 7mm medium density foam that was more pliable and easier to work with.
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Alfa 159Part of any major power upgrade includes a Front Mount Intercooler conversion to enable the maximum airflow through the compression system, while maximising the cooling opportunity.
The stock intercooler on the 159 is quite restrictive and behind several radiators limiting good airflow to it and also has very restrictive ports for the airflow in and out of it. All due to size and placement options at the factory.
The stock pipework has an ID of 60-63mm so isn’t exactly huge, but is good enough for 3.5-4bar. Its the intercooler that could use a bit of an upgrade!
Once the stock intercooler is removed, all of the other radiators can shuffle around so that it goes (from the engine to the front of the car) Water Rad > Air Con Rad > Oil Rad > Power Steering Rad. All of these items clip to each other so removing the stock intercooler just allows you to put them all back in a different order without any further mods. You will likely need to have the aircon re-gassed and refill the cooling system as doing this without disconnecting those systems is extremely difficult!
An optional upgrade is to remove the stock oil cooler and move that to a larger MOCAL unit located where the stock intake is, but this requires removal of the stock intake and all associated pipework and replacing with something like a BMC-CDA or Cone filter under the bonnet like I have done.
In terms of the parts needed for this conversion, it isn’t that many. Firstly, you need the right sort of intercooler, cheap and efficient! Fortunately, the JDM scene has us covered! They have a standard sized unit that has a 600x300x76mm core that is used in big power Supra and GTR upgrades. Its readily available on ebay for less than £100 delivered.
Make sure you buy the “bar and Plate” type rather than the “tube and fin” ones. The bar and plate type have additional internal structure designed to create turbulence in the airflow and maximise the cooling efficiency.
One thing I will say about these intercoolers; is they do not age well. While they turn up very shiny and polished, after about 2-3 months on the front of the car they go a horrible grey pitted colour that is quite unsightly! I therefore do recommend getting it painted black to help create the stealth look. Of course adding a layer of paint will reduce the efficiency slightly so make the layer as thin as possible.
There are arguments for and against painting the intercooler here:
For:
Against:
While the science is compelling, from experience of running the same setup painted and unpainted, there is nothing in it! I see extremely efficient cooling even with it painted black!
This unit, once bought, needs to be mounted. Fortunately, due to the shape of the 159/Brera there is a huge space up front where this can live with ease! I have designed some brackets that attach directly to the lower sub-frame and provide a mount for this, or any other intercooler. You can get these brackets made up at any local machine shop for £20-30.
The design can be downloaded free of charge:
Once its mounted on the lower sub frame its very solid, but you will need to make some custom tie bars for the top that secure it to the front crash bar. I used some 1mm steel I had lying around and just cut and bent it to shape:
The Intercooler has M8 sockets welded onto it so you will need 4 x M8 bolts @ 12-14mm long to mount it to the brackets and the brackets will need 4 x M8 @ 50-55mm long to go through the lower sub frame.
The pipework is custom, so while I can tell you what bits you need, its up to you to measure and cut them! I strongly recommend watching this video on how to cut silicon pipes before starting:
You are going to need the following bits:
Hot Side (pre cooler)
63mm Joiner (102mm long)
63 – 76 @90 degree reducer elbow
Cold Side (post cooler)
60mm Joiner (102mm long)
60 – 63 @45 degree reducer elbow
63 mm joiner (102mm long)
63 – 76 @90 degree reducer elbow
Mishimoto Constant Tension T-Bolt Clamps
6 x 2.75″ (for the 3 x joins)
2 x 3″ (for the FMIC)
Mikalor W2 Stainless Steel Clamps
1 x 49-63mm (Cold side metal intake pipe)
1 x 55-59mm (Hot side turbo connection)
I can recommend ASH in the UK for the pipes and the joiners, I used them and they are great quality. They are on ebay here: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/autosiliconehosesoutlet/
Do not underestimate the clamps or the joiners! I have tried several different types of both and have had reliability issues resulting in boost hoses popping off at the most inconvenient times! Spend the money, get the best possible parts.The Mishimoto clamps are the best I have seen and provide an extremely good clamp with a system that allows for heat expansion and contraction without sacrificing grip.They dont make constant tension clamps small enough for the connections on the turbo or metal intake so I suggest using Mikalor clamps instead. A very strong clamp just without the heat expansion capability.
You can buy the clamps direct from Mishimoto or the usual ebay sources.
The ASH joiners have very significant insertion into the pipes so you can get lots of grip with the clamps and minimise potential movement that can work a join loose over time!
I have used other joins in the past and they have failed repeatedly, to put that in perspective, take a look at the difference between a popular silicon joiner and the ASH one:
The hot side of the FMIC only needs a single 90 reducer and can be joined directly to the OE pipe with a 63mm joiner.
On the hot side you need to trim back the 90 reducer on the 63 side, and join that to the 63 side of the 45 reducer. This will also need to be cut back and the stock pipe will need to be cut back also. These are the only three cuts you need to make but measure twice and cut once! The 60 side joins to the stock pipe where you cut it as its slightly narrower in the middle than at the ends. I’ll caveat that the pipes I used here had already been previously cut. Its possible that the stock cold side pipe may join directly with the 90 and not need the 45 if not cut. Its something you are going to have to test fit yourself!
Make sure to place your clamps in such a way as they are easy to get to once the bumper is back on as they may need tightening in the future and this will make life much easier!
Make sure you do not have any pipes catching on anything sharp. If they do they can eventually fail through the vibrations from the engine. I had a previous OE hot side pipe fail as it was rubbing on the frame and it was £100 to be replaced!
Once you have the pipes all done, it should look a little like this.
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InfoSecThis is a short video explanation of how the UK Cyber Security Challenge’s launch cipher was put together, and subsequently how to break it!
C4Odla8I0Hs
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LiveMixesOldschool Hard House from the archives
https://jabawoki.com/wp-content/mp3/Jabawok_17122000_Stompin_Pumpin_Hard_House.mp3
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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InfoSecIf your planning on using Linux in a hostile environment, i.e. the Internet! then its worth thinking about some simple little tweaks to the TCP/IP stack in conjunction with some funky firewall madness to keep your box your own, and not end up “owned” too quickly!
Lets start with the TCP/IP stack. There are a number of quick easy wins here that can help defend against attacks through making the default behaviours of the stack more in-line with what we would like:
echo "1" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/eth0/rp_filter
echo "0" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/lo/rp_filter
echo "1" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/all/log_martians
echo "0" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/lo/log_martians
echo "1" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/icmp_ignore_bogus_error_responses
echo "1" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/icmp_echo_ignore_broadcasts
echo "0" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/icmp_echo_ignore_all
echo "0" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/all/accept_source_route
echo "0" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/all/send_redirects
echo "0" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/all/accept_redirects
echo "0" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/conf/all/secure_redirects
echo "1" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_dynaddr
echo "10" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/tcp_fin_timeout
echo "1800" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/tcp_keepalive_time
echo "15" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ipfrag_time
echo "2048" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/tcp_max_syn_backlog
echo "32768 61000" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_local_port_range
echo "2" > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/tcp_synack_retries
Now, that little lot above needs some caveats. Firstly, use at your own risk! Secondly, As per usual, you often get a small performance hit when you start getting more secure, so test each tweak fully before you go into production. Once your happy with the ones you like, add then to your /etc/rc.local or other start up file of your choice.
The next step is to use iptables to help deal with dodgy looking traffic.
Step 1, set-up a bunch of new chains:
$IPTABLES -N CHECK_FLAGS
$IPTABLES -N ALLOW_ICMP
$IPTABLES -N SRC_EGRESS
$IPTABLES -N DST_EGRESS
Step 2, now lets get those chains to do something useful:
$IPTABLES -A CHECK_FLAGS -p tcp --tcp-flags ALL FIN,URG,PSH -m limit
--limit 5/minute -j LOG --log-level $LOG_LEVEL --log-prefix "NMAP-XMAS:"
$IPTABLES -A CHECK_FLAGS -p tcp --tcp-flags ALL FIN,URG,PSH -j DROP
$IPTABLES -A CHECK_FLAGS -p tcp --tcp-flags SYN,RST SYN,RST -m limit
--limit 5/minute -j LOG --log-level $LOG_LEVEL --log-prefix "SYN/RST:"
$IPTABLES -A CHECK_FLAGS -p tcp --tcp-flags SYN,RST SYN,RST -j DROP
$IPTABLES -A CHECK_FLAGS -p tcp --tcp-flags SYN,FIN SYN,FIN -m limit
--limit 5/minute -j LOG --log-level $LOG_LEVEL --log-prefix "SYN/FIN:"
$IPTABLES -A CHECK_FLAGS -p tcp --tcp-flags SYN,FIN SYN,FIN -j DROP
$IPTABLES -A ALLOW_ICMP -p icmp --icmp-type echo-reply -j ACCEPT
$IPTABLES -A ALLOW_ICMP -p icmp --icmp-type destination-unreachable
-j ACCEPT
$IPTABLES -A ALLOW_ICMP -p icmp --icmp-type echo-request -j ACCEPT
$IPTABLES -A ALLOW_ICMP -p icmp --icmp-type time-exceeded -j ACCEPT
for SRCNET in $EGRESS_NETS; do
$IPTABLES -A SRC_EGRESS -s $SRCNET -j DROP
done
for DSTNET in $EGRESS_NETS; do
$IPTABLES -A DST_EGRESS -d $DSTNET -j DROP
done
Step 3, Apply the prior two steps to your input, forward and output chains as needed:
$IPTABLES -A $CHAIN -i $EXT_INT -j SRC_EGRESS
$IPTABLES -A $CHAIN -i $EXT_INT -j DST_EGRESS
$IPTABLES -A $CHAIN -i $EXT_INT -p icmp -j ALLOW_ICMP
$IPTABLES -A $CHAIN -i $EXT_INT -p tcp -j CHECK_FLAGS
Variables. In all of the above, variables are used to save typing!, here are some of the important variables, the rest are fairly self explanatory:
EGRESS_NETS="
172.16.0.0/12
224.0.0.0/4
240.0.0.0/5
14.0.0.0/8
169.254.0.0/16
172.16.0.0/12
192.0.2.0/24
192.88.99.0/24
192.18.0.0/15
0.0.0.0/8
"
What we have just done is setup some new chains, apply some filters that can identify dodgy looking traffic and do something useful with it (limit it rather than drop it, as we don’t want to arouse suspicion with our attackers). Then apply all that nice Packet Mangling to each of our primary chains.
I provide all of this advice for free, with no guarantees, any use of the above code should be with full testing prior to its use in a production environment. Enjoy!
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Alfa 159I finally got round to installing the Wireless OBD II dongle I bought off ebay into my car the other day and thought I would document the process for those that may be interested.
First your going to need to pick one up. I bought a clone Kiwi Wifi dongle off ebay for £45 which is a third of the cost of an original branded version so a complete bargain! Its a great little unit and perfect for interfacing with any OBD application you may want it for. Once you get the unit delivered you will notice that it is a simple plug and play job with no configuration. While this is true in its simplest form, one slight issue I found is that the OBD port is always powered up, therefore you would have to plug it in and remove it when you were not using it or it would always be broadcasting direct access to your cars ECU via a wireless network, which in my book is not the best of ideas!
So the first job you have is to retro-fit an on off switch to allow for a more permanent installation! Its an easy job and Maplin have micro 12v switches that will fit and do the job well for a few pence. Just slide your fingernails around the edge of the front plastic cover and it will literally pop off in your hands, giving you access to the internals. All you need to do is de-solder the power connection (trace pin 16 on the connector), add a new bit of wire from the board to your switch and back to the original wire where you can splice it back together. To do this nicely you need about 12cm of wire, 2cm of heat shrink wrap, a soldering iron & solder & a small switch.
Fit the switch on the side of the unit for easy access and put the cover back on with a dab of glue to hold it in place.
Here is an image of my modified unit.
Once the unit is installed in the car, you can connect it to your chosen application which for me was Rev2 from Dev Toaster on the iphone. This app is a bit pricey at £26 for the pro version, but gives me everything I want in terms of access to key metrics in real time, full data logging and even engine code interrogation and resetting! It can get data on a large number of points including:
Vehicle Speed
RPM
Fuel Consumption
Engine Coolant Temp
Fuel Pressure
Calculated Engine Load
Throttle Position
Intake Manifold Pressure
Air Intake Temp
Timing Advance
Mass Air Flow
Fuel Level
Barometric Pressure
EVAP System Vapor Pressure
Fuel Trim
Boost
Examples:
In terms of the actual connection between the iphone and the OBD II dongle, its as simple as:
Connect the OBD II and power on
Go to settings > WiFi on the iPhone
Press the arrow next to “CLKDevices” network
Set a static IP of192.168.0.11 & netmask of 255.255.255.0, save and exit
Open Rev2, go to settings, hardware choose Kiwi Wifi, then select custom from the bottom
Set the device to 192.168.0.10 and port of 35000
Done.
From this point your up and running!
You do need to configure a profile for your car, with its kerb weight as this is used to calculate torque and BHP. My kerb weight is documented at 1680KG, but I have the top spec TI version with all the extra trimmings so expect it to be closer to 1750KG. I am of course excluding the 75KGs of lard I personally add to the equation, but I think thats fair! I will actually get it weighed at some point just to be pedantic, but for now 1750kg’s is close enough for me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWvbQ1RdHCo
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LiveMixesA fresh mix for you all – Happy New Year!
Track List:
Albin Myers – Time Like These
Robbie Rivera – New Direction
Oliver Twizt – Yo’re Not Alone
John Dahlback – More than I Wanted
Chris Lake – If You Knew
Doman & Gooding Feat Dru & Lincoln – Runnin
Guetta Angello Gerraud Ingrosso Willis – Everytime We Touch
Steve Angello & Laifdback Luke Feat Robin S – Show Me Love
Planet Funk – Lemonade
Kurd Maverick – Blue Monday
Nari & Milani Feat Max C – Disco Nuff
Kevin Bryant – Who You Wanna Be
Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream
https://jabawoki.com/wp-content/mp3/Jabawoki_Sunny_Side_Up_25012010.mp3
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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LiveMixesMore Progressive sounds for Easter…..
Fatboy Slim vs Koen Grownwvald – Rackafeller Skank (Original Mix)
Felix Baumgartner & Juan Kidd – Now Your Gone (Club Mix)
David Penn & Rober Gaez – Our Darkness (Original Mix)
Funkagenda – Breakwater (EDX Ibiza Sunrise Mix)
Milk & Sugar – Let the Sunshine (Milk & Sugar Global Mix)
Paul Gardner & Hugh Gunnell ft Marcella Woods – Come Get My Lovin (Plastik Funk Remix)
Faithless – Music Matters (Mark Knight Remix)
Sandy Rivera – Whatever (Andy Daniell Digital Edit)
Ou Est Le Swimming Pool – Dance The Way I Feel (Armand Van Helden Club Mix)
Richard Grey – One More Time (Chris Moody Remix)
Kim Fai – Good Life (Original Mix)
TV Rock – In the Air (Axwell Remix)
Young Rebels & Fransico Diaz – 1998 (Original Mix)
Funkagenda – Nobody Listens To Techno Feat. Mc Flipside (Original Mix)
Muzzaik – Going Underground (Original Mix)
DCA Project – Sandcastles (John Dahlback Remix)
Pryda – Waves (Original Mix)
Dankann – Genesis (Original Mix)
https://jabawoki.com/wp-content/mp3/Jabawoki_Easter_Progressive_06042010.mp3
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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LiveMixesAnother Progressive Mix for 2010:
Stefano Noferini – Cool Summer (Original Dirty Mix) + hardrive Deep Inside (Harry Choo Choo Romero Bambossa Remix)
Laidback Luke, Sebastian Ingrosso, Axwell, Steve Angelo feat. Deborah Cox – Leave The World Behind (Original Mix)
Moguai – Lyve (Original Mix)
Pryda – Miami To Atlanta (Original Mix)
Moguai – Imperial (Original Mix)
Sebastian Ingrosso – Kidsos (original Mix)
Young Rebels & Francesco Diaz – 1998 (Original Mix)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll (A-Track Remix) (Club Edit)
Jerry Ropero, Tom Novy Feat. Abigai Bailey – Touch Me (Extended Mix)
Cirez D – On Off (original Mix)
Depeche Mode – Hole to Feed (Proof Vocal Mix)
Deadmau5 Feat Billy Newton – Outta My Life (Touch Mix)
Hoxton Whores – Devil Toy (Original Club Mix)
Wolfgang Gartner – Flashback (Original Mix)
Fedde Le Grand – Praise You (Fatboy Slim Vs. Fedde le Grand Remix Remix)
Jerome Isma-Ae – Hold That Sucker Down (Original Mix)
Pacific Wave – 1998 (Dj Phunk & 3Am Mix)
https://jabawoki.com/wp-content/mp3/Jabawoki_DeepDivin_25032010.mp3
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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InfoSecOpen post to see coverage:
computing.co.uk – April 2009 – Malware
computing.co.uk – April 2009 – Risk in the recession
pcauthority.com.au – April 2009 – Microsoft
computing.co.uk – April 2009 – Microsoft
crn.com.au – April 2009 – Risk in the recession
whatpc.co.uk – April 2009 – Security
computing.co.uk – April 2009 – Malware
Searchsecurity.co.uk – April 2009 – Conficker & Patching
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