"89" camry bucks and stalls ?

A classic sign of wet coil under the cap caused by a leaking O ring, clean the coil with alcohol and spray electronics cleaner, Also bad plug wires can do that.

HI, I checked the distributor cap as suggested and sprayed with wd40 to dry out distributor. still bucks and dies out in drive but idles in neutral and goes well in reverse ... could it be a sensor ? i appreciate any ideas on what it might be. Thanks, Rich

wd 40 in a distributor, will make matters worse, its a lubricant which leaves a film not like alcohol or electronics cleaner.

If you had removed the distridutor cap after a few minutes running, out would have poured smoke from wd burning as the rotor arched to the cap, the oil and smoke residue attract moisture which till didtributor is fully heated will arch and short. Just as a dirty , wet car battery discharges itself by case contamination so is your distributor shorting, but now you are moving 30000v inside on a semi conductive film making hell inside, and missfiring your car.

Did you know WD 40 is Not a lubricant and will displace oil and ruin electric motors in a few weeks, forget what the can says, wd is best for loosening rusted bolts and thats about it. Its a solvent with rapidly evaporating lubricating qualities, it even displaces oil.

You need a cleaner that leaves no residue , a big can of spray brake cleaner just Might do, a big can of spray electronics cleaner should as long as it removes grease, be sure to clean behind the coil thats where the leaking O ring is