Thanks Joe, I will try again. The clip still is very stiff, the mower has had very little use. The clip kept on popping off. Thanks again for the quick reply. I have four of the blessed Victas with various problems!
What happens some times with the muffler is that the edge is not flat and the clips come off. The easiest way is to use a hammer to flatten the edge and all will be ok.
I use an old edger blade (one of the thin mower type blade metal) and cut out a section in the center so that it fits over the clip. Then bend the two legs slightly so that it fits over the edge of the muffler lip then put a small phillips head screwdriver through the clip and use the blade to lever the clip over the edge to lock the muffler clip on.