I got a new starter in my 1996 Ford ranger and it just makes a grinding noise it killed my battery but I’m worried abt the grinding noise what is it and how do I fix it

 

Why did you replace the old starter?
And what did its gear look like?

There is often a different starter motor for manual trans and automatic because the ring gears are different, and the depth of ring gear

Take new one back, and get it replaced under warranty, if you can't, DO NOT USE IT, if you hear grinding then its chewing up your Ring Gear, which is hard to replace
Most likely the new starter has the wrong gear

Pull out the new starter and test it with jumper cables, see if it grinds on its own
Also take pictures of the ring gear from the hole where starter was, makes sure it looks OK

Slightly worn ring gear(normal) and worn out/bad ring gear picture here: https://p15-d24.com/uploads/monthly_...1403730986.jpg