A MAINT TECHNICIAN INSTALLED A CDI IN A C172; HAD THE ACFT TEST FLOWN AND RETURNED TO SVC WITHOUT A 337 BEING SUBMITTED TO THE CVG FSDO.

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A MISUNDERSTANDING OCCURRED BTWN MYSELF AND MY PRIMARY AVIONICS INSPECTORS; CVG FSDO. IN MAR/99 I SENT A 337 OUTLINING A CHANGE ON A VFR 337 FOR A GPS STAND-ALONE CDI REPLACEMENT (1 CDI OUT; NEW ONE IN). I WAS TOLD BY ONE INSPECTOR NO FIELD APPROVAL WAS NEEDED; AND ONE INSPECTOR TOLD ME A FIELD APPROVAL WAS REQUIRED. DUE TO OTHER CONFLICTS; WE NEVER COMPLETED THE INSTALLATION; AND I FORGOT WHAT THE OUTCOME WAS -- FIELD APPROVAL REQUIRED OR NOT. RECENTLY WE COMPLETED THE INSTALLATION (AUG/XA/99). I HAD RECALLED THAT AT THE LAST RUN-AROUND; I SHOULD JUST SEND IN A 337. I APPARENTLY HAD FORGOTTEN THAT ONE INSPECTOR HAD WANTED A FIELD APPROVAL. I RETURNED THE ACFT TO SVC; SIGNED THE APPROPRIATE BLOCKS; AND WE PERFORMED A VFR FLT EVALUATION FOR REQUIREMENTS. THE PLT SIGNED THE FLT PORTION; AND I SIGNED THE TEST PORTION. IN ADDITION; I SENT IN AN 'IFR' 337; STATING THAT WE HAD PERFORMED A FLT EVALUATION PER ADVISORY CIRCULAR 20-128 FOR IFR REQUIREMENTS. I UNDERSTOOD THAT THE FAA INSPECTOR WOULD REVIEW ALL OF THE INFO; AND SEND BACK THE APPROPRIATE PAPERWORK WITH THE CORRECT STAMPS AND SIGNATURES. THE PAPERWORK WAS ALL MAILED IN IMMEDIATELY TO THE FSDO. THE INSPECTOR SHOWED UP TODAY STATING THAT I HAD RETURNED THE ACFT TO SVC ILLEGALLY; AND THAT I HAD FLOWN THE ACFT ILLEGALLY. THE MISTAKE (OR VIOLATION; IF THERE IS ONE) IS THAT I SIGNED OFF THE RETURNS TO SVC ON THE 337'S WITHOUT HAVING THE DATA BLOCKS APPROVED. I WAS NOT AWARE THAT I HAD TO HAVE FIELD APPROVALS ON THESE ITEMS. NEITHER WAS REALLY A SAFETY OF FLT ITEM; NOR WAS THERE ANY RISK. BOTH WERE SIMPLY PAPERWORK ISSUES. I EXPLAINED MY MISTAKE IN UNDERSTANDING; AND HE WAS STILL UPSET. I HAD NOT DONE THIS TYPE OF PAPERWORK IN SEVERAL YRS AND JUST FORGOT. I SHOULD HAVE CALLED HIM TO ASK; BUT WE COMPLETED THE ACFT AND THE TEST FLT ON A WKEND; SO NO ONE WAS AVAILABLE.