1997 Dodge Dakota

Can you hear the air temp door move in dash or hear the airflow changing when your moving the temp control knob? Check for vaccuum theere two. Or is it cable actuaated? Depends on your vehicle some aare cable some are vac.

Engine hot does air go from blistering hot to outside air hot?

But it does go from warm to hot. So thats working properly.

Only thing that leaves yet is the ac system. And you cant really do that yourself. You can try to buy a can at walmart and try to charge it. But the proper way is to have a shop do it because you dont know why it aint turning on due to high pressure or low pressure or if its all in specs and its electrical if you have a ac system guage set and a refr recovery machine I can help you.