(G) seicento water problem..help please!!

earlier in this forum i reported a whining noise upon acceleration coupled with water loss. Members helped diagnosis stating that it was likely to be a duff water pump.

Today I attempted removal of the said pump to find the real cause of the water loss..... a perforated core plug!

This plug became visible upon removal of the lower section of the timing case.

Is removal and replacement a straightforward job for a DIY'er and if so can anybody give me instructions for carrying out the job. Can removal/replacement be carried out from the wheel arch without removal of anymore parts.

Secondly any ideas as to the cause of this perforation and is there still likely to be a problem with the water pump bearing in mind the original whining noise?

Any help will be very much appreciated.
regards
dhb

bumping this up as ive never done a core plug im afraid

Never done it, but: first, buy replacement core plug. Lever out old core plug (screwdriver, etc) popping a hole through it if you need to. Clean any muck/rust off the mating surface. Put a little silicone sealant around the mating surface if you like, then bang the dome with a ball pein hammer. This is what really makes the seal. Take a peek at the other coreplugs for ideas.

Test with plain water before you put antifreeze in. If you've bought the water pump and timing belt you may as well fit them.