if the battery is fully charged after a few seconds of cranking the voltage gets dragged down rediculously low.
Also everytime I crank the engine about every 2 seconds it makes this awful grinding noise. It won't start. what's wrong with it?

 

Sounds like your starter is bad.

 

How low does the voltage get? It is normal to have a voltage drop of about 2-3 volts when starting, but it should return when the alternator kicks in. If the battery has a bad cell you aren't supplying the starter with the proper voltage to fully turn over and it can burn out.

 

Just a quick check - turn on your headlights to start the car. If the lights go out, you have insufficient power. If they don't, you have starter issues. This isn't foolproof, but it will help you narrow down your next troubleshooting step - get your battery tested.

 

headlights are good.
I tested the battery and the voltage was normal.
I looked at the flexplate and you can see scratches from the starter hitting it.

I don't know what to do next.

 

Did the flexplate ever make a knocking or tinking noise?

 

Nope, I just hear a metal grind.

 

How old is your starter? After I replaced my starter, the starter gear that turns the flywheel had a couple of bent teeth. That was the cause of my grinding noise on start up. Went away with the new one. Luckily the flywheel was still in good shape.

 

Starter is new.
The noise is the same as when you try to crank the engine when it's already on.

 

figured it out needed shims...

 

No wait still having problems...

After the engine is cranked, that gear on the starter that moves the flexplate stays in the same position after I stop cranking.

The scratches on the flywheel teeth are only done on the left side (toward front of car).

After putting shims on the starter it still made the noise. Then I tried loosening the 2 bolts a little and it did it even more constant. Help me before I accidently destroy this car.

 

Either your new starter has a bad bendix or you have a binding problem.