A Line Mechanic was informed the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) he installed on a B767-400 aircraft was not 'Effective' for that airplane; even though both he and a Maintenance Controller for Aircraft On Ground (AOG) had noted the DFDR he installed was correct per their Illustrated Parts Catalog (IPC) at that time.

Narrative

January 2012; a B767-400 came in with Flight Recorder flight data status message. I Troubleshot (T/S) the problem to be the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) M200. So I went to the Illustrated Parts Catalog (IPC) and; in the search; I typed in MXX200 which is the M # for the DFDR M200. Two different Part Numbers (P/N) XX43-00 and YY00-042 came up as 'effective' for the aircraft. We did not have one in stock; so I had Stores/Parts order up P/N YY00-042. When it arrived; I installed it on the plane and all Checks were normal. When I went to Stores to turn in the bad part I called [Maintenance Control] Aircraft On Ground (AOG) to make sure the part was effective because the part I took off was P/N XX43-00 and the one I installed was P/N YY00-042. I wanted to verify what I saw in the IPC for the B767-400 was right. I had AOG check and they concurred that the part was 'effective'. I don't remember the name of the person I spoke to; but they saw it in the IPC for this aircraft. Then the plane left. About a week later my Manager told me that he got information saying that the part I installed was not effective for the aircraft. I told him not to worry; that I would find it for him in the IPC. I checked the IPC and could not find it but on [the day the aircraft came in] it was there. He told me that there was a scheduled maintenance item to replace the DFDR with the same P/N XX43-00 [that was previously removed] and it was done five days later.