Not diesel. If you put enough diesel in a gas engine it will lock up, and if it does not lock up it will bang and clunk something fierce.
Diesel fuel takes a much higher compression to ignite. Odd sound like vacuum leak would make, which could be why it is idling low. Your fuel filter is not dirty is it ? Filters can start to plug up, when ran long enough they reduce flow, let it stand for awhile it clears up a little until you run it again and it restricts again.
Need a little more on what it sounded like.