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Enterprise has two reactors the Nimitz class has eight. You're right about the issues faced to replace them.

Other way around, actually.

Both conventional and Nuke the propulsion plant including boilers, reduction gears, generators, reactors,De-Sal plants etc all go in first as the keel is laid. It is not economical nor time use wise to change to plants once the keel is laid. A complete rebid and start all over is faster.

IIRC we, and the other major world powers, reboilered and returbined many WWI-era dreadnoughts during the post-WWI "building holiday". The Japanese even cut some of their battleships in two in order to insert additional boilers to allow for faster speeds.

But that was an exceptional situation where manpower was cheap and building new ships wasn't an option (as it was prohibited by treaty).

IIRC(2), the US carriers that were SLEP'd in the 1980s had their turbines yanked for refirb. There was an article I read at the time about either Indy or Connie's SLEP that specifically mentioned that the new mounts were in waiting for the turbines to be reinstalled. But replacing turbines is considerably different from replacing an entire engineering plant.

Turbines would be possible but likely not the boilers. The boilers are over two decks tall and how the heck you gonna lift one out? It would take cutting from the flight deck down to the 6th deck.

Some things can be done some can't. We added a 300-350 tom A/C unit in 1980 but it was put on the 4th deck. I do know the boilers go in first though looking at early construction pictures. That is one reason why a CV can not be converted to CVN and vice versa once the keel is laid.

That goes back to a rumor started that America was planned a CVN and changed by McNamara. She was awarded under Ike as a CVA. DFM {Diesel Fuel Marine} was cheap back then. That was basically what I meant.

WW1 era ships were easy change overs for one simple reason. They were not compartmentalized like WW2 built ships and not even like the long range super carriers that began at Forestall. Compartmentalization was a WW2 learned lesson and it was learned fast. This as well limits doing future changes.

S.L.E.P. overhaul takes about 3 years minimal so there would be a time allowance to change out turbines. On the other hand though if you look at building a typical conventional CV that took four years but you had a new ship. Enterprise from keel to commission was also four years. Our biggest limitation now construction wise is instead of four carrier builders we have one.

Your right on the turbine replacement. It was CONNIE that had the turbines replaced {first time it had ever been done on a super carrier} between 1990-93. That bought her ten more years service. Looks like she had a massive fuel fire in 88.