help noisy vpi motor

The HW-19 III motor should be virtually silent. With the motor cover on, you should hear nothing from it if your ear is more than a foot away.

Your motor sounds like it may have a damaged bearing. How does the turntable sound -- does the motor problem affect what you hear when you play a record?

The motor is replaceable, but getting a replacement could be the challenge. I would ask VPI first. (They might be out at CES this week.) Unfortunately, the motor is probably different from the motors they use in the current product line, so they may have none of these old ones left in stock. Alternatively, I would look for the VPI SAMA (Stand Alone Motor Assembly), which was an upgrade to the HW-19 series.

Elusive Disc lists the replacement motor at $170, but it is out of stock. Music Direct lists the SAMA for $400:

http://www.musicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?sku=AVPISAMA

You should be able to get these used much cheaper on eBay or Audiogon. You could also do a Google search for used turntable parts dealers, who may have these motors for sale on their web sites.

As Jameswei says, the motor should be silent. If the motor is making noise it should be replaced. I see you have a wanted ad posted so you might find someone who upgraded to the SAMA and has an extra motor. Failing that I would definitely contact VPI to see if the motor is still available. The motor "assembly" does include a mounting bracket so you may be able to buy just the motor for a few dollars less. If memory serves me right the HW-19 used a Hurst motor which should be still available from Hurst.

I'd expect a TT to be fully functional upon receipt. Was it insured for shipping damage? Good luck