A B747-200 GS ANTENNA WAS REPLACED ON THE AFT L NOSE LNDG GEAR DOOR. DOOR WAS REMOVED FOR ANTENNA REPLACEMENT. MAINT MANUAL DID NOT ADDRESS SAME DOOR REINSTALLATION GEAR SWING REQUIREMENT.

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THE JOB WAS; GS ANTENNA HAD TO BE REPLACED. ON A B747 ACFT; IT'S MOUNTED TO THE AFT L NOSE LNDG GEAR DOOR. PRIOR TO ACFT ARR; MAINT CTL INFORMED ME THEY SENT THE WHOLE DOOR WITH THE ANTENNA INSTALLED ON IT AND TOLD ME IT WAS OK TO REPLACE THE DOOR; AND THAT GEAR SWING WAS NOT NEEDED. ALL I HAD PRINTED WAS THE ANTENNA REPLACEMENT; SO UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE INFO I GOT FROM MAINT CTL WAS CORRECT; WE DECIDED TO REMOVE THE DOOR FROM THE AIRPLANE TO FACILITATE THE ANTENNA REPLACEMENT AND REINSTALL THE SAME DOOR. WITHOUT DISTURBING ANY ADJUSTMENTS ON EITHER THE RODS OR DOOR HINGES; REMOVED DOOR FROM HINGE PINS. AS THIS WAS TAKING PLACE; THE FAA ARRIVED AND QUESTIONED THE GEAR SWING CAUSE OF THE DOOR REPLACEMENT AFTER DOOR WAS REMOVED; AND THE MAINT MANUAL WAS READ. FOUND THAT IT DID NOT ADDRESS SAME DOOR REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION. IT DID GO INTO DETAILS ABOUT TRIMMING AND RIGGING THE NEW DOOR TO FIT. NOT APPLICABLE IN THIS CASE. SAME DOOR AND NO RIGGING DISTURBED. FAA LEFT THE AREA BUT SAID THEY WOULD COME BACK TO GET AN ANSWER ABOUT THE GEAR SWING. AT THIS POINT; MYSELF AND MAINT CTL DECIDED TO CONTACT BOEING. BOEING ASKED FOR A WRITTEN REQUEST OF THE EVENTS INVOLVED IN THIS DILEMMA AND DID PROVIDE US WITH A ONE TIME WAIVER TO AS LONG AS NO RIGGING AND NONE OF THE HINGES WERE REMOVED; IT WAS OK TO INSTALL WITHOUT THE GEAR SWING; SO PER BOEING'S APPROVAL WE DID MOVE ON AND FINISHED THE JOB. NO MAINT CANCELLATION OR DELAY. AS FOR PREVENTION OF THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN; WE'LL HAVE THE MAINT MANUAL ON HAND PRIOR TO STARTING THE JOB AND REGARDLESS OF WHO SAYS WHAT; THE MAINT MANUAL RULES.