I bought a used hope XC off the classifieds and it has obviously been recently serviced (badly) by the previous owner.

The wheel was very stiff to spin so I stripped it and have found that the 14mm freebub spacer has been swapped with the 16mm axle spacer. The outer bearing (closest to the qr) has been driven home and jammed things up. Looking through the freehub from the back, there doesn't seem like there is enough purchase on the back of the bearing to drift it out, i've tried and failed.

Any advice or is it new freehub time? anyone selling one? 🙂

There's a circlip holding the inside bearing in so you wont drift it out with the other bearing altogether.
You need to knock the outer one out first and then remove the circlip so you can drift the inner one out.
Get a rod inside to dislodge the spacer so you can get a drift onto the outside bearing.

Ah ha! Thanks Alan, i've moved the spacer over a little and will now be able to drift it out.

Cheers! 😀

Good stuff – have you managed to sort it then now Paul?

Just about, the hub is now fully stripped and i'm just waiting for my new bearings to be deilvered as the existing ones were quite rough, even when de greased and lubed up again.

Cheers