Reconstitutable nuclear reactor fuel assembly with unitary removable top nozzle subassembly

A reconstitutable fuel assembly is described having at least one control rod guide thimble and a top nozzle, the guide thimble including an upper extension, the top nozzle including at least one hold-down spring, an upper hold-down plate and a lower adapter plate, an improved attaching structure removably mounting the top nozzle as a unitary subassembly on the guide thimble. The attaching structure comprises: (a) a coupling member interfitting the lower adapter plate, the upper hold-down plate and the hold-down spring disposed between the plates so as to capture and retain the plates and spring together as a unitary subassembly in which the upper plate is slidably moveable along the coupling member relative to the lower plate with the spring biasing the upper plate away from the lower plate. The coupling member has spaced apart upper and lower portions with a central passageway extending for slidably receiving the upper extension of the guide thimble in a nonattached relationship in which the coupling member is slidably movable relative to the guide thimble extension for respectively inserting and removing the coupling member on and from the guide thimble extension