A B737-200 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE RUDDER PEDAL NOSE STEERING INPUT ROD DISCONNECTED.

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DURING SCHEDULED MAINT I WAS ASSIGNED; WITH ANOTHER MECH; TO CHANGE A RUDDER PCU ON A B737-200. IT HAD BEEN CHANGED ONCE ALREADY BUT TESTED FAULTY AND REMOVED. WE WERE GIVING THE PCI JOB CARD AND EXTENSIVE TURNOVER SHEETS WITH ABOUT 7 OR 8 SHIFTS OF TURNOVERS. THE NEW PCU WAS READY TO BE INSTALLED WHEN WE ARRIVED. WE INSTALLED IT PER THE MAINT MANUAL AND TESTED IT. PART OF THE TEST IN THE MAINT MANUAL SAYS TO DISCONNECT THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING INPUT ROD. SINCE WE WERE BEING RUSHED AND THE PANELS WERE ALREADY CLOSED UP IN THE NOSEWHEEL WELL; WE INSTALLED THE NOSE STEERING BYPASS PIN INSTEAD. THE RUDDER TESTED OK; INSPECTION CHKED IT OUT OK AND THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC. DURING TAXI THE PLT NOTIFIED MAINT THAT HE HAD NO RUDDER PEDAL NOSE STEERING. MAINT THEN FOUND THAT THE NOSE STEERING ROD WAS DISCONNECTED. TURNOVER SHEETS WERE NOT CLR ON WHAT HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND WHAT STILL NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED. ALSO; BEING THAT IT WAS A 'C' CHK; A SEPARATE JOB CARD TO CLOSE THE NOSEWHEEL WELL WAS ALREADY COMPLETED. I THINK TURNOVER SHEETS SHOULD HAVE OPEN BLOCKS THAT NEED TO BE SIGNED WHEN SOMETHING IS STILL OPEN; THAT WAY AN OPEN BLOCK WILL ALERT US THAT SOMETHING IS NOT DONE AND AN EXTRA SET OF EYES CHKING THE PAPERWORK COULD HELP.