I just did a 540 and the engine buider set the side rod clearance at .035. The engine builder that work with me wants .030 - .040 for a marine engine.
So at .031 your on the low side. Wrist pin clearance should be around .0012.
I was having oil temp problems.

The side clearance, by math, seems to have no issue on the oil evacuation of the throw.

Wider side clearance will evacuate more oil. There are a lot of things "in theory" which may not necessarily work. Side clearance and bearing clearance govern oil evacuation. In a racing engine per example, let's say a supercharged alcohol engine- Bearing clearances are set way wider than you can imagine. I have run as much as .004-.0045 rod bearing clearance and .004 on the mains. Oil pressure has to be matched to the clearances. This style engine we run 150 oil PSI. Every application is different. So to say it doesn't matter what clearance (whether rod,main, or side) you have will flow the same amount of oil out is incorrect.

I don't know if you understood what I was stating and maybe I wasn't clear but I was trying to say at "them same bearing clearance, same weight oil, same rpm, the oil evacuation will be no different with .015 side clearance vs. .030 side clearance"
I agree 100% percent that all things must be set up with the end result in mind.
Believe me I respect your input Mrhp!!
Thanks,
Dave