help noisy vpi motor

I just received a HW-19 III table, purchased over the internet. And apparently, I paid the price and more, as the motor sounds like there's gravel in it. How loud should a properly running HW-19 motor sound? Is the motor replaceable, where could I find one, and what might it cost? Help! Ben
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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:

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
you may have already checked this, but - is the cover interferring with the pully? That is, are you sure it's the motor making the sound, or could it be the pully rubbing on the cover. I had a HW19 and the cover would rub the pully unless washers were placed between the cover/plate and the stand-offs.
It's definitely not the pulley, and the noise is audible up to three feet away. I'll check around for a motor, I'm afraid the SAMA will be out of my price range. Thanks for your help! Ben
Troydion is selling a motor for 75.00 on audiogon.
You might also want to try some oil on the shaft it will seep into the bearings. I had a Sama that ticked and that is how I stoped it. It looks sealed but it is not. I also had mine running while I did it.
I own a table that uses a Hurst motor and had done some tweeking which involved pushing the pulley down on its shaft which ended up pushing the armature against the bottom cap of the motor housing which made a sound not unike what you're describing. I was able to reposition the spindle/armature within the housing with little effort and take care of the problem.

Rest assured that even inaudible resonances of the motor are affecting the sound although you won't know it until you get rid of them.