Could HMS Hood have received a major pre-war refit

Could Hood have received a partial rebuild in the mid-1930s, improving machinery and armour while retaining her appearance as Repulse did?

Yes, but high pre-war operational demands and international crises made it difficult to release a major ship for the desired refit period.

A partial rebuild with machinery and armour improvements is considered possible. The preferred opportunity offered is 1938, if Hood could have been spared. Problems involving Japan in the Far East and the Spanish Civil War already kept the Royal Navy busy before the Second World War. That operational tempo limited when ships could enter refit and prevented some work from being completed at the desired time.